The Dance of Order and Chaos in 4 Acts
by TheGoldenSun
Summary: Jinx remembers the fun times she had with Jhin when he came to visit Piltover. Now she wants to visit Ionia to make the excitement spark once again! Only problem is that now Piltover's finest is on her tail, determined to put her behind bars once again, and Jhin hasn't avoided the attention of the authorities in his own nation either...
1. Prologue

Caitlyn stood in the hospital room over her partner. Vi was covered with a blanket at the moment, but Caitlyn knew that it concealed a brace. She sighed with a mixture of relief and resignation, her relief coming from knowing that Vi could very well have died a few hours ago, but was saved by her armor.

She remembered the exact moment the call came in that they found Vi's body near the sight of the now infamous explosion. She also remembered the shock she felt when she arrived on the scene to find Piltover Emergency Services peeling the broken armor from Vi's limp form, careful not to further agitate any broken bones. While Vi was taken to the Piltover Emergency Room, the remnants of her armor and gauntlets were now under the care of Heimerdinger.

"I'll fix 'em up good as new before she goes back into service." The man had said when workers had finished loading the last of the pieces into his vehicle. "They'll be better than ever Sheriff."

"Good." Caitlyn remembered saying. She had little else to say.

Now she stood in Vi's hospital room waiting for her to wake up. She needed Vi's story to give her context on case evidence some officers had found.

A single blade trap, in the design of a lotus. It was found unarmed in the building where Vi must have fallen from. Caitlyn frowned as she thought about it. Jinx had traps, but hers were more explosive, and were much less complex in design. _She had an accomplice._ She thought as she turned the image of the trap over in her mind. _Or had._ She added, reminding herself that The Loose Cannon didn't have a good record of not terrorizing people she came across, let alone partnering with them.

"Hey." She heard a weak voice from the bed. She turned her head slightly to see Vi, slightly groggy but alert.

"Glad you're awake." Caitlyn said, hoping her voice didn't have her usual strictness in it when addressing her. "I'm also glad you're alive."

"Don't get sappy with me cupcake." Vi brushed her off with an intended insult to her softness. "Just help me..." She froze, realizing that she couldn't get up. Her eyes widened and for the first time ever, Caitlyn saw true fear in Vi's eyes. "Am... am I?" Her voice nearly broke, from the strain of the day or her feared situation, Caitlyn couldn't tell.

Caitlyn held up a hand in a calming gesture. "Relax Vi, you're not paralyzed. They injected you with a weak paralyzing agent so that you wouldn't move and possibly agitate your cracked spine and shoulders. They haven't finished putting your brace together, but I wanted a moment with you so that you could tell me about Jinx's accomplice."

Vi calmed down and let her head fall the centimeter she had raised it in defeat. Sighing audibly she muttered. "As if sticking around for that ceremony wasn't boring enough. Now I'm stuck here for who knows how long."

"I did tell you not to go." Caitlyn couldn't help but say, nearly regretting it the second she finished.

Vi's eyes flashed in anger. "You should have helped me!" She snapped, raising her head the little she could for emphasis. "If we were a team we could have-"

"We would both be in the hospital or dead!" Caitlyn shot back. "Why do you think they left you alive? Do you honestly think Jinx let you live on purpose? Her friend probably convinced her to let you go because you were no threat. If I was there they would have gained more by killing us both!"

"You're giving Jinx too much credit." Vi spat the name _Jinx_ like a vile curse. "She's nothing but a-" She abruptly broke off as her eyes rolled back as she collapsed on the bed.

Caitlyn stared in confusion when a man in a nurse's uniform came in, "Sorry about that." He said apologetically. The automated ICU-PTC regulating her vitals sensed a heart rate increase as well as a blood pressure increase. In the interest of keeping her muscles from tensing up and harming her fragile bones further, it administered a stronger dose of the agent.

"Well tell it to wake her back up, I need that information." Caitlyn said impatiently; she was still heated from the argument that had been interrupted, and she was ready to take out her unspent anger on the medical offical.

The nurse pulled up Vi's vital signs on a screen on the opposite end of the room, muttered something to himself in confirmation, and proceeded to key in instructions to the automated bedside apparatus keeping Vi sedated.

Caitlyn meanwhile took several deep breaths to calm herself. She didn't want to delay Vi's recovery any longer than she had to. _Vi's well being is more important than the information she could give me._ She reminded herself over and over. She knew she treated Vi as a very good friend off duty, but she couldn't help but wonder if she treated her more like a police car or a living nightstick than a partner on duty. _Perhaps she's right._ She thought with a hint of sadness. _Perhaps I do treat my men more like tools then people._

The fluid in the cables running under the sheets changed color, and Vi's eyes snapped open. "Wha?" Half of a word fumbled out of her mouth as she regained consciousness. "What happened?"

While the man explained the situation slowly, Caitlyn felt a sudden sharp pain in the back of her head. She jumped in surprise and glanced down to see a paper airplane drift to the floor. _That must have struck me._ Caitlyn thought as she bent down to pick it up. She unfolded it and quickly saw it was a message that made her pale slightly.

 _Get Well Soon!_

 _Jinx 3 XOXOXO_

"What's that?" Vi asked groggily.

Caitlyn quickly put the paper away. The last thing Vi needed to see was something Jinx related. "It's classified evidence. I'll tell you when you get better."

Vi blinked slowly. "I dunno, evidence usually doesn't fly in as an airplane."

"Vi, focus." Caitlyn said in a deliberately soft tone. "I need you to tell me what Jinx's accomplice looked like. We can talk about this when you get better I promise, but right now I need your help so we can catch them."

Vi's eyes blinked as enough fog lifted from her brain to let her be able to comprehend the question. "Uh, he had a mask on. A really pale one with a smile on it. There was only one eye socket." She answered slowly.

Caitlyn's spirits lifted. That small detail made it so much easier to track down their quarry. There were not many people with only one eye in Piltover, and she was going to interrogate every single one if she had to. "Thank you." She turned to the nurse. "How long until her brace is done and she can be fully alert?"

"Brace?" Vi repeated sluggishly.

"It should be a day. Two tops." The man answered.

Caitlyn nodded in appreciation. "Then the information I have will have to suffice for now." She turned back to Vi. "Get well soon Vi."

"Yeah yeah, don't get mushy on me." Vi answered, but with a small smile instead of a exasperated grimace.

Caitlyn gave a small wave as she left the room.

Vi turned her head to the man and said, "Hey nurse, put me under would you? I'll go crazy if I have to be awake during this process."

* * *

Grove was a thriving young village in Ionia. Named after the revered Astral Grove just a waterfall away, the inhabitants had dedicated their lives to living in balance with nature.

The man walked through the village; he waved cheerily at the children as he passed. They waved at him as he passed with cheers and smiles. They knew him well.

He walked down the dirt roads, marveling at the simple architecture of the buildings around him. It wasn't extravagant, or special in anyway, but it felt comforting. He regretting only having one reason to come.

He went up to a familiar and humble home and knocked with his good arm. He placed a wrapped package next to the door, just out of sight. He wanted to surprise her.

Once he heard the owner coming to the door he put on a smile, as naturally as one would put on a shirt.

The door opened to reveal the fallen celestial herself, Soraka. Her serene face brightened when she saw him. "Oh hello! It's a pleasure to see you again!"

"The pleasure is all mine." The man said with a bow. "I regret that my only reason for visiting today is this." He gestured to his broken arm and lifted his shirt to reveal the dark bruises over his ribs. "Do you mind healing it?"

Soraka shook her head. "Of course not, come in." She opened the door wider and beckoned him inside. "Have a seat in the den. I'll be there once I grab my staff."

He nodded and walked in. He glanced around, noting the simplicity of what was around him. The kitchen was likely the most room in the home, but the man knew that half of the time Soraka didn't cook for herself. He failed time and again to ask exactly how often she ate, but he did know she baked treats for the village children more often than she made food for herself.

A small counter, cabinets, a bucket with some washcloths, and a cooking pot decorated one side of the kitchen while a stone oven and a small table occupied the other side. A wooden floor made little sounds as he walked over it, proof that the floor was merely wooden slabs laid over dirt.

He walked to the den and sat cross-legged, and caught a whiff from the aromatic tea on the short table in the center of the den. Even though it was very warm, he could see the slender streams of steam rise from the cup like a siren of intoxicating scent.

Shortly Soraka walked in with her staff, and sat next to him. "I swear Khada, you only seem to visit when you break something." She teased as she put a hand over his arm and started healing his wounds.

Khada chuckled. "Well, you are the best healer for miles around, and painting in the woods can be quite dangerous when you are trying to get the perfect angle." His arm grew warmer as the pain started to ebb. "I actually got this arm broken by trying to climb a tree for the perfect view of the Kohona Mountain Range."

"And a simple ground view wouldn't have worked?" Soraka asked as she finished up with his arm and moved to his bruised ribs.

"You know me Soraka, I strive for perfection. It is the only kind of art worth producing."

"Well you shouldn't hurt yourself trying to reach perfection. Just because I'm here doesn't mean you risk your safety unnecessarily."

Khada sighed as his ribs stopped throbbing every time he breathed. "You are right, and trust me, I do not take you for granted." He looked straight at her with his sharp blue eyes. "I deeply appreciate your kindness, from the first moment you healed my wounds. No wonder this village welcomed you with open arms."

Soraka nodded in appreciation. "Thank you. They actually wanted to make me one of the village elders. I am still considering it."

"Do you not live here?" Khada asked as he stood up and tested his arm.

"I do." Soraka answered as she stood up as well, although she nearly faltered. She leaned on her staff briefly for support before continuing. "I just do not want to put myself in a position to fail these wonderful people. I am content as a healer; I have never led anything in my life and I am not keen to start."

Khada walked to the door. "Do you recall the old saying, 'Whatever fate we see in the stars, is a guide?'"

Soraka visibly cringed. "Yes, I remember it."

He opened the door and welcomed the morning sun. "Well, the stars deemed you as merely a healer. Do you not wish to be more?"

Soraka stiffened. "I have had bad experiences ever since I disobeyed the stars."

Khada recognized his error and bowed in apology. "Apologies, I did not mean to reopen old wounds."

"It doesn't matter. Nothing can change my fate now." Soraka answered glumly.

Khada reached to the where his gift hid and said, "Perhaps, but perhaps I can make it a little brighter." He presented her with one of his creations.

Soraka's eyes lit up almost instantly once she opened the wrapping. "Wow, this is beautiful! This was what you were painting the whole time?" She held the beautiful painting of the Kohona Mountain Range up to the sun for a crystal clear view.

Khada nodded. "I wanted to repay you for the bones you fixed and the fractures you mended over the months of my visits. I must admit I am impressed with your work. No wonder this village has no sick or injured."

"This is a wonderful gift, thank you." Soraka said with a smile that held none of the pain she had shown just moments before.

"You're welcome." He answered aloud. _She is a creature of powerful magic._ Khada thought. _She will be one of my greatest masterpieces._

He waved at her once before walking back onto the dirt road and out of Grove. He watched the canvases running around him. Large ones, small ones, the canvases on four legs. They would all bask in the beauty and art of Khada Jhin. Their time was coming.

The stage was set in order.

Once chaos arrived.

The show would begin.


	2. Prologue 2

**A/N Just a heads up, gonna be in midterms for the first half of the week, but then I'll be back on and submitting more stuff here!**

The fog was thick. Akali and Kennen could barely see more than a foot in front of their faces, and they had to shift their gazes to the ground every so often to navigate the twisted roots that would appear. The trees the roots belonged to were dark and gnarled, their long-dead branches reaching up to the skies in a plaintive plea for life. They knew the trees have been dead long before Ionia was united. The ground was soft and soaked to the bedrock; a few inches of water would have made it a swamp. The air was deathly quiet. Not a bird chirped. Not a single sound was made beyond the squelch of footsteps that the ninja made as they trekked through the dead forest.

Akali attempted to keep pace with Shen, but more than once she had nearly twisted her ankle by not paying enough attention. She muttered a curse after nearly tumbling to the ground after a root had proven to be a little higher than she expected. In her irritation, she pulled the kama from her robe and started cutting roots that stood in her path. She looked at Shen, who walked with a calm purpose and with no falter in his step. She tried emulating his footsteps, but try as she might she couldn't cover the same ground due to her height. Shen had made no attempt to make conversation, and Akali had no interest in striking up conversation with Kennen, so he gave up after the first hour of their journey.

Kennen had the easier time out of the two of them, as his small size made it simple to see the roots coming. He deftly hopped over them and even used his lightning rush to run up the ruins of trees in an effort to scout ahead. It was futile however; even the tallest tree could not reach over the fog, and the yordle tired himself out more than anything. After numerous unsuccessful attempts at conversation, he decided to walk right next to Akali. Boredom caused his old prankster habits to kick in, so he decided to push Akali's buttons by walking just a hair faster, putting himself ahead of her yet still behind Shen.

Akali didn't look at him, but quickened her pace to pass Kennen.

Kennen saw she took the bait, so he walked faster to pass her once again.

Akali took a few long strides and ended up right next to Shen. She shifted her gaze to Kennen for a quick second to silently gloat, but then she was sent straight to the ground by a gnarled root. She hit the ground hard, and bit back a cry of pain. She quickly got back up and dusted herself off, but Shen had stopped.

"Are you two quite finished?" Shen asked impassively.

"I'm not." Kennen answered. "When can we move faster? This speed is killing me."

"Are we almost there?" Akali asked, throwing a glare towards Kennen. "We have been walking for almost three hours now, and you haven't once said where we were going."

"I don't have to tell you where we are going." Shen answered. "We are going in the same direction and I am in the lead. You do not have to know yet."

Akali narrowed her eyes. "When are you going to stop treating me like an acolyte? I am the Fist of Shadow."

"I am aware of that." Shen answered as he looked at the trees he passed. He frowned, noticing that the trees seemed to be changing. An individual tree itself didn't change, but the tree beyond was different just enough to be noticeable, and so was the tree beyond. The overall effect was similar to the flip-books from Bilgewater. The overall endpoint of the changes were lost on Shen, until he started seeing specific details emerge as he passed enough trees. "You do not see Kennen complaining. Trust me on this. I know what I am doing."

Akali bit back a retort and remained silent.

Shen started to tense when he saw the knots in the trees start to resemble wailing faces. The branches started looking more and more like arms, and he drew his spirit blade when he started to hear faint wailing.

Akali stayed silent for a while, but then she could hold it no more. "I was led to believe that the Triumvirate was equal."

Shen was puzzled. Why was she saying these things? "We are balance, but that does not mean equal. You and Kennen are both two sides of equilibrium, I am the bridge."

"Master Kusho would have told me this kind of information." Akali pressed.

"I am not Master Kusho." Shen answered, showing none of the ache he felt for an instant.

"No kidding." Akali sneered. "If you were half the man Kusho was, we would still have the temple."

Shen stopped. "What is bothering you Akali?" He asked calmly. He did not have the faintest idea why Akali's mood was the way that it was, but he was having none of it.

"The fact that I know why you're not telling us where we are going." She growled. "Because this is nothing but you running away from Zed like a coward and dragging us along with you. You could have fought for the temple. You should have."

"And die along with the rest of the Kinkou Order?" Shen asked sharply. He took a quick breath to return to serenity. He knew anger was his weak point, yet he kept falling victim to it.

"The Kinkou Order is dead." Akali snapped. "There is only a coward and his little servants following him around. You were never qualified to lead us, you only became leader by default. You spend all your time chasing spirits around when you should be avenging your father's death." She then turned on her heel and walked away into the fog.

Shen quickened his step to follow when she disappeared into the white mist. What she said had hurt him. They cut deep into his guarded soul and brought back to the surface what he himself had secretly feared ever since the temple fell. _Am I worthy of my father's blade? How can I lead if I cannot lead a team of three ninja against one? Why can't I avenge my father and kill Zed, is it honor or emotion clouding my judgement?_ Akali's words have broken the locked chest of his buried fears, and now they bubbled up in earnest, eager to make up for lost time.

Despite this, he couldn't let her wander off alone. He gauged her approximate speed and reached out ahead of him to take her by the shoulder. However he nearly toppled over when he leaned to grab unexpectedly empty air. His brow furrowed in confusion. He didn't hear her sprint off; in fact he knew she would not dare run in this place.

"Where did she go?" Kennen's voice nearly startled Shen, but he recovered instantly.

"I don't know." Shen answered in genuine confusion. "She should be right here."

"Wait I see her!" Kennen said suddenly, and before Shen could stop him the yordle dashed into the fog so quickly he looked like a bolt of lightning.

"Wait! Don't run!" Shen said in alarm, but his warning fell on deaf ears. Kennen was gone as well, the fog had swallowed him up.

Shen tensed when he heard a familiar voice laugh cruelly from somewhere beyond his vision and say, "That is a very good question Shen. Why can't you kill me?"

Zed emerged from the wispy background like a wraith and as silently as a reaper.

"How are you here?" Shen asked with barely concealed anger, drawing his Ionian still blade.

"You are the rest of the survivors of your pathetic order led me here. For ninja, they are not good at covering tracks. You did not reach them well." He chuckled. "It's a shame, I was hoping to let you live long enough to rise up your own order and then challenge The Order of Shadows. But it is clear that you are no master." He pulled one of Akali's kama from beneath his clothes. "She hasn't improved at all since your order's fall. You should know that I train everyday."

Shen gritted his teeth. "What did you do to her?"

"The same thing I did to the rest of your order." Zed answered, the satisfaction in his voice evident. "Balance is a lie, and your order represents balance. So I taught your little student the truth. That those who follow balance invite death."

Zed was standing in a completed neutral pose, yet Shen was poised to leap at him. Red-hot anger boiled in Shen's blood; he desperately tried to keep it under control, but his control slipped. His eyes narrowed into slits, and the grip on his weapon tightened. "She is not my student." He said in a low voice.

"Is that so?" Zed asked. "Well then your order is doomed to fall behind to mine. I probably could have saved myself a lot of time and just killed your father, and then watch your order stagnate and decay from within. I guess father was wrong in making you his favorite."

With a roar Shen leaped at Zed, and swung his blade directly at his neck. Zed vanished in a cloud of shadows, and Shen simply stood there in the marsh, breathing heavily. He squinted into the fog in an effort to find his quarry, but instead he noticed something more troubling.

The trees had all vanished.

He walked through the fog at first, then he started to jog. The wailing that had drifted to his ears had faded; now it was a man humming.

Shen's heart turned to ice. He knew that voice. He knew it all too well.

The fog to his right lifted as if it was a curtain and displayed Zed's mangled body, hanging limp from a massive tree, one that Shen could not have missed.

He looked closer and realized that Zed didn't hang from the tree so much as the tree grew around him and through him, carrying him up into the air. Pink petals fell around Zed's tree like rain, and the sky parted to reveal rays of light, but Shen felt unease more than anything.

Then he heard him. A dark whisper that reached into the depths of Shen's soul and pulled out all the fear that he hid deep within with its deceptively charming sounds.

 _I will make you beautiful._

That voice had haunted him ever since he first heard him. Ever since he had first heard of what he had done, he had thought it was an evil spirit. His father was the one that fought spirits in those times, it would make sense that a spirit would be behind the horrific murders that had plagued Ionia. After all, his name was the Golden Demon.

He saw rather than heard the flower shaped explosion that showed through the fog on his left. The fog on that end lifted and revealed a mass of blood and fur that was nearly unrecognizable. A Ionian Lotus, painted in blood, was thrown up on the air behind the horror, frozen mid-air in its perfect moment. Only the shreds of a purple robe let Shen know who it was, and grief washed over him. Smoke rose from the corpse as a purple ethereal flower.

The first victim of the Golden Demon he had seen looked exactly like this.

 _You are my performers, and death is my orchestra._

The grief gave way to anger. He drew his sword and tried to walk, but his legs wouldn't obey his desires. He could only watch as the fog in front of him lifted.

Akali was an angel of death. The body was floating up in the air, suspended by giant golden threads that glowed with a divine light. The body was tilted back, giving the impression of a creature entering flight and enjoying every second of it. Wings of smoke and fog swept out from her limp form and refracted the few rays of sunlight that broke the fog bank and illuminated her whole body.

Her hair floated around her head like a halo, and the mask was removed to show an ethereal smoke leaking from between her lips.

 _Dance for me my puppets._

He was overcome with grief after seeing what had become of the last members of his order. Only he was left. He fell to his knees in sorrow and defeat.

He swore to find the Golden Demon once again and avenge their deaths. In his anger, he denounced his duty of maintaining balance, he called it a lie. He opened his eyes, too late, to see the flower that bloomed beneath him.

The last thing he heard as his vision was snuffed out along with his life was the Golden Demon whispering, so close it was almost as if the voice was in his ear.

 _My art cannot be contained._

* * *

Shen awoke with a start, and looked around the camp in a frantic daze. His robes stuck to his body, and Shen was shivering with cold sweat.

He looked around and remembered that they were camping in the Ionian Peace Forest at the moment. On a nearby hilltop, he saw Akali and Kennen training under the stars.

He let out a breath of relief. It was all a nightmare. His fears and his insecurities were brought up to him clear as day, and he would be a fool to ignore them.

 _But what does it all mean?_ He thought. His mind was in too much of a jumble over what had happened to make much sense of it, but he gathered that the dream was an omen, a warning of some kind. Had he been too neglectful of his companions lately? The spirit and human world needed balance, but he owed it to his father to at least try to rebuild the order. Even if it meant grooming either Akali or Kennen to be the new leader so that they could train acolytes on their own.

He stood up and walked to the hilltop where his students-his friends were training, confident in his newfound goal.

He still heard the demon's hum in the back of his mind, and its final words to him. He had an nagging feeling he knew where to go next.

He had to find Jhin. Before he hurt any more people.


	3. Act I: Chapter I

**A/N Alright, we're up and ready for the first official chapter!**

The silver moon hung over the city of Piltover, shining over the silver-capped buildings like a polished mirror. However the general shine of the city abruptly ended at its borders, over the dark, deep, water.

Long ago the city was built next to a marsh. As the city rose over the decades, the marsh remained. Many of the upper class inhabitants looked down upon the marsh, as a stain to the beauty and perfection of Piltover.

Unlike the pristine splendor of the City of Progress, the thick marsh was dark and bubbled with gases trapped, drowning, deep within. Presently the gases and various liquids found in the marsh were utilized as an energy source, so the marsh's existence was tolerated. In fact, it soon became important symbolism. The marsh represented all the filth and muck of the outside world, left outside the gates of Piltover. This provided exquisite contrast to the spotless interior of the city, and in fact most of the inhabitants welcomed the swamp as nothing more than a ever-present reminder that they were in fact advanced compared to the outside world. Many gave the swamp the... tasteful nickname of "Zaun."

Along the bank of the marsh skipped a lively young lady, strapped with a wide assortment of weaponry that at a glance seemed far too heavy for a damsel her size to carry along without help, let alone skip with it. She whistled what seemed to be a fabricated tune as she went along, and seemed to be looking for a way across.

I smiled as I laid just beneath the fog-covered water, my mouth stretching wide enough to swallow her whole right then. _Not yet._ I reminded myself, _I hunger for entertainment as well._

I swam over to her and rose from the water.

* * *

Jinx whistled her favorite song as she went along the marsh banks. She pulled out the slip of paper Jhin had given her and studied it again. She didn't have the perfect idea of where Ionia was, but she knew it was a group of islands out to sea. In just a few days it would be the fourth of the month, and her partner would be waiting for her.

Normally she'd show up whenever she felt like it, but she felt like she owed it to Jhin to show up only a day or so late. After all, he loosened up and proved he knew how to have fun. She'd hate to lose a partner in crime.

Stuffing the paper back into a pocket, she pulled out the map she took from the Piltover Library from Fishbones' mouth where she stashed it. She unfolded it and glanced over it again. "Hey Fishbones." She said aloud, breaking the serenity of the marsh. "How do you think we get across to the other side?"

"Well." Fishbones answered, voicing his thoughts courtesy of Jinx, "I think we should just take the bridge."

"That's a terrible idea." Jinx said. "I'd never get across the bridge without blowing it up." She looked up at the bridge fondly. "And I kinda like the bridge."

"So why not just walk across it normally?"

"Because I also like blowing up bridges." Jinx answered. "It's a struggle. So I have to keep myself from the temptation or else I'll just-" She interrupted herself as she yanked Fishbones to her shoulder and fired a rocket into one of the bridge supports.

 **BOOM**

With a resounding roar of screeching metal the bridge fell into the river with residual explosions from the gas lights decorating the bridge railings igniting.

Jinx watched the bridge's destruction with fascination, then pulled Fishbones back to her side and continued speaking as if nothing happened. "-do that."

"Well great. Now we don't have any way to get to the other side." Fishbones complained.

"Well yeah, I said that already. Why do you think I didn't count the bridge?" Jinx asked.

 _"Pardon me, young lady."_ A new voice interrupted. Jinx turned to the swamp as a large monstrosity materialized from the depths, rising up out of the water to tower over her. A seeming cross between a catfish and a frog, the slimy creature was dressed in a surprisingly dapper coat, complete with a top hat. _"I couldn't help but notice that you were mighty needy, searching for, should we say, a way to get from one place to another?"_ The thing's voice was deep yet sultry, rough yet enticingly smooth. His yellow eyes tracked Jinx with hunger.

"No." Jinx said matter-of-factly. "I just need a way to get to Ionia."

Not missing a beat, the creature sided up to Jinx's side and put a wet arm on her shoulder. _"Well today is your lucky day child. I just happen to be an expert on these here waterways, and Ionia? Huh, that is nothing but a quick stroll for me. You need to get there faster than butter sliding down a hot pan, am I correct in saying? Well I have a deal for you."_

Jinx abandoned trying to follow the creature's words. "Hey are your parents a fish and a frog?"

The creature chuckled, a hearty sound that had an undertone of malice. _"My, you're a inventive one. And quite the observant one as well. In fact, I can bet your instincts are just clamorin' for you to shop around, find better deals. However..."_ He tugged on his coat to straighten it. _"You won't have to waste a second. For you see, I have the best deals money, or other commodities, can buy. Ask around, you'll know I'm not pulling your leg. But you're a busy girl with a hefty appetite, ain't you?"_

"Actually I just ate. Fishbones snuck the last of the bread sticks, but I think that makes us even since I took his pasta." Jinx answered. She smiled. "We were really lucky too. We were the last customers that restaurant had, cuz I blew it up."

The creature snorted in laughter. _"Girl, you're as nutty as a squirrel's turd, but I like that. But you know, the gastronomic variety of appetite, while a vital part of enjoying this buffet that life has to offer, isn't the appetite I am referring to. I am referring to your appetite for knocking down the established symbols of order by utilizing the tools this city considers anathema."_

Jinx cocked her head. "Huh?"

The creature guffawed. _"Little lady, I am referring to your insatiable appetite for wanton chaos."_

Jinx's eyes brightened. "Yeah. I hate being bored."

He nodded respectfully. _"An admirable trait."_ He paused, then made a show of bowing with his hat off. _"Oh, my deepest apologies child, we were not properly introduced. My clientele always have a feeling of being close to me, after all. It's how I run the magic of my unbeatable deals after all, I only share them with friends. What's your name, child?"_

"Jinx." She answered. She held up her weapons and started naming them. "This is Fishbones, the loser; this is Pow-Pow the quiet strong one; and this is Zap the adopted son! Oh yeah, and these are their chomper pets."

The creature put his hat back on and then held out a hand that was decorated with fine rings. _"You can call me... the River King. Now, friend, just say the word and I'll take you straight to Ionia."_ He cleared his throat and then added, _"Of course, you know that while my deals are most desirable, a small fee is required."_

Jinx looked at him with a knowing smile without shaking. "Hey Fishbones, think we should tell him?"

The River King smiled. _"Just what do you need to tell me child? I'm all ears."_

Jinx lifted Fishbones and puppeted, "Well Mr. King, this marsh doesn't connect to the ocean. You'll never be able to swim to Ionia."

"What he said." Jinx said. "Also you're kinda fat. Hat Lady can probably outrun you."

The River King chuckled. _"Now now, that's quite a rude comment little lady, I'd best hold your tart tongue. But..."_ His eyes twinkled. _"I know a way to Ionia by navigating the seas solely."_

Jinx looked around disbelievingly. "Yeah right, you're probably lying."

He puffed himself up and drawled, "Someday you'll learn child. All the waterways in the world are connected, and only I know the shortcuts and secret passages to navigate them all." He leaned in closer, and whispered his swamp breach into her nostrils with his next sentence. _"I can take you to your partner. I can help you satisfy your hunger for destruction. All you need to do, is say deal."_

Jinx thought long and hard. "Hmm. What do you think Fishbones?"

"I don't trust him." Fishbones answered. "He seems too slimy, and he's always looking at you."

"You know you make very convincing arguments or something." Jinx replied. She then turned to the king with a smile so energetic and so sudden he involuntarily flinched. "Let's go!"

 _"But..."_ The River King stammered. _"You have just gotten out of a-"_

"Yeah yeah, nobody cares what Fishbones says, let's go!"

The smile widened as he regained his composure. _"Well girl, if you insist. Just remember. You asked for everything that will transpire."_

* * *

Caitlyn walked into the police headquarters the next morning, her irritation growing by the second. _I can't believe it._ She thought. _A whole week and nothing came up. How hard is it to find one person with one eye?_

She pushed open the door to her office, with different plans fighting in her mind for attention and growth. She tossed her hat on the coat rack by the door, letting her dark hair hang loose. She sat down at her desk and pushed aside the loose papers. On impulse she caught them before they fluttered to the floor and stacked them neatly before placing them aside.

She sighed before grabbing the disarmed trap at the corner of her desk and examining it yet again. It was a fruitless task she knew, because until her men returned from the Piltover Library with information on what kind of flower the trap resembled exactly, she had no clue where to start identifying the piece.

Her phone rang, and she swiftly snatched it from the hook and answered with her clipped accented voice. "Yes, Piltover Police Headquarters, Sheriff Caitlyn speaking." She paused, listening to her officers on the other end. "Thank you sergeant. As for the library, I can only say that you were lucky to have gotten there first." She hung up and then examined the trap again now that she was armed with new knowledge.

It was an Ionian Lotus. _So you're getting help from Ionia._ She mused. _So this must be a professional criminal from Ionia. This trap was handmade, so this man had resources. This means that he must be very wanted in his homeland. They can tell me more._ She reached for the phone and dialed the number for the Ionian Emissary in the northern part of town.

After a short delay the phone was picked up. "Ionian Ambassador Ryali speaking." The tinny voice over the phone answered.

"Yes, hello. This is Sheriff Caitlyn. I have a few questions for you."

"Of course sheriff, ask away."

"Are you aware of any criminals in Ionia who use bladed traps stylized as Ionian Lotuses?"

There was an uncomfortable silence on the other end. "I do not believe so ma'am." The ambassador finally responded, in a tone that sounded like he wanted to sound sincere. Caitlyn frowned with suspicion.

"Are you certain? You sounded like you were thinking."

"I mean, we did have one, but he's been incarcerated for years."

"I see. Are you certain-"

"Ma'am, apologies, but that is a sensitive subject for Ionia. The times when that man would terrorize the populace are still fresh in everybody's mind. We would much rather the memories rot in prison along with him."

A new plan formed in Caitlyn's mind. "If it is all the same to you, I would like to schedule a meeting with the Ionian Elders. There was a criminal spotted here that is definitely using this man you speak of as inspiration for his equipment."

Another long pause. "Of course. We would be honored to have you. I will relay your request to the Elders."

"Thank you for your time." Caitlyn replied briskly, then hung up. Her mind made up, she picked the phone back up and redialed. A familiar voice came out over the line.

"Yeah?"

"Vi, how are you doing?"

"Fine. The doctor said my spine healed up enough for my armor to support my back."

"Good. We have a trip to make."


	4. Act I: Chapter II

**A/N Sorry this was late, have this and the next chapter written already but forgot to publish haha. Expect the next one shortly!**

The sun shone across the tranquil marketplace of Ionia. Even though it was noon, the sun did not beat down on the backs of the merchants and shoppers, it caressed them. The very air of Ionia was charged with tranquility and many who had traveled from other lands, particularity Shurima, would swear that Ionia had its own sun, one that made it impossible to die of heatstroke.

However the Virtuoso didn't notice the sun, or the soft grass he lay in. He only saw his canvas, clear as day in Whisper's scope.

He was lying on his stomach, at least 1100 yards away from the clearing in the fields where the marketplace was build. Surrounding him was a grand forest, teeming with life. He was breathing slowly, watching his canvas make the motions of life with the attention of a predator. He chuckled softly, and lined up the man's head. _You will be beautiful._ He thought. _You will scream in joy as you dance to the music of my whispers._

He had reloaded since he had returned from Piltover, and his golden drop of sunshine paint was loaded and ready to dash itself across the man's body. He fingered the trigger, and fired. He watched, his breath taken away as Summer flew towards the man, ready to roast his skin to a flaking charred state as his canvas lifted high into the air like a legend. He could already see his new creation fly to the sun, to join its maker.

The man was sitting in a coffeehouse, sipping from a old mug when Summer shattered the window on its righteous path to end his ugly existence, to purify him. His eyes widened for a split second, then with a sweeping motion he drew his blade and swung it upwards.

The sword moved so swiftly it seemed to cut the air in two, and a wall of solid wind was left in the sword's wake.

Summer died, without a peep, as it collided with the wall and clattered to the floor.

The man then turned and ran, swiftly as the wind.

Jhin frowned beneath his mask. They didn't tell him that Yasuo could do that. All of a sudden this job became very, very, annoying. For some reason ever since he returned the Cabal didn't give him a word of thanks, or at the very least acknowledgement. As an artist Jhin felt that he should be appreciated for his work, but not one person did. Well, nobody except for...

 _Jinx._ He whispered the name aloud, as if it would summon her. _I wish you were here._ She was the only person it seemed that could understand him, understand his art. In fact they were partners now, twin performers in the dance of Order and Chaos. _If she were here,_ He thought, _he would have been made pure._ And he knew exactly how it would have happened as well.

After being forced to block Jhin's shot, Yasuo would have been too distracted to notice the rocket coming in from the back of the coffeehouse, destroying the building and everyone in it. The scenario played in his head, and he laughed. It was almost comical.

He got up, dusted himself off, and grabbed his pocket watch, glancing at the gilded face impassively. "One O'Clock." He muttered. The day was halfway over, and there was no sign of Jinx. _She still has one day._ He told himself. _Perhaps she is going to get here on the fourth exactly. Then again, she is Chaos's daughter. She may show up the day after our appointed time._ It would be irritating for sure, as Jhin planned his days thoroughly, and he had planned the next week in the assumption that Jinx would arrive on time.

 _No matter._ He thought as he disassembled Whisper and brought his equipment back into their non-firing position. _I am behind schedule anyways now that Yasuo escaped. She has more time._

The Virtuoso turned on his heel and walked into the forest, towards their appointed meeting place.

* * *

Tuula Prison was unique among other prisons. Once solely a monastery, the resident monks had offered taking in the criminally insane in the hopes of curing them. The Ionian Elders saw no issue with this, as the monks were well known for their philosophy on being life's personal caretakers. They saw insanity as nothing more than another illness that could be cured, and this earned the respect of many. After a few test cases were successful, the monastery was refitted to house prisoners and guards were staffed to prevent the monks from having to forcefully establish order if the time came.

Despite the name however, Tuula wasn't a prison so much as it was a sanctuary. The monks' goal was to put each patient in a place of comfort, and help them come to grips with reality at their own pace.

The head guard at Tuula Prison was trained to expect anything. What he wasn't expecting was three Kinkou ninja at the front door. After a consulting with the monks, he went to the gate but kept it closed. "Can I help you, Master Shen?" He said carefully.

The first ninja, Shen, stepped forward. "Yes, you can. We need to see one of your prisoners."

He kept his face impassive. "Which one?"

Akali stepped forward. "Khada Jhin." She answered.

"Reason?" The guard asked.

Before Akali could answer Shen replied. "It is important."

The guard shook his head. "I'm sorry Master Shen, but I cannot let your group in. This is meant to be a sanctuary, not a place where you can harass the guests with questioning."

Akali brandished her kama. "As the Fist of Shadow my duty is to pruning the Tree of Balance. Do you know what that means?"

The guard scarcely got a word in before Akali continued. "It means that if something or someone threatens balance I can and will eliminate them." She said the last few words with weight.

The guard backed up, and looked to Shen for help.

Shen only said, "If you are hiding something regarding Jhin, then you are directly involved with threatening Valoran's balance. I can do nothing to assist you."

"What seems to be the trouble here?" The guard whirled behind him and was relieved to find the head monk, Kaisi, coming down the steps.

"Elder Kaisi," the guard said with a quick bow, "The Kinkou order is here to question one of our guests, even though I told them that is against the purpose of this place."

The monk looked towards the three ninja with kind eyes. "Is this the truth?" He asked.

Shen gave a respectful bow. "Elder Kaisi, we need to visit Khada Jhin."

"A friendly visit, or a vengeful visit?" Kaisi asked. "If the latter, we cannot allow you to bring harm to our guests."

"Hopefully, a friendly one." Shen replied. "It means that my dream meant nothing."

Kaisi smiled. "My apologies Master Shen, but Khada is currently unavailable at the moment. He is having an acupuncture treatment at this moment, and cannot be disturbed."

"We will wait for him then." Akali said, unfazed.

"It is a four hour procedure."

Kennen became visibly uncomfortable, while Shen said, "It is no problem. My companions and I could use some time for meditation."

"Of course." Kaisi bowed and turned to the head guard. "You may open the gate Shiru."

Shiru nodded silently and pulled the keys from his pocket and went to work on the lock.

While he worked, Kaisi turned back to Shen. "My deepest condolences to you in regards to your father and the rest of the Kinkou Order."

Shen nodded. "Thank you, Elder Kaisi."

"Rest assured we have encouraged the Ionian Elders to deny Zed's Order of Shadows the honor of being recognized as a legitimate ninja clan. They are still being seen as having stolen the Kinkou Order's rightful temple and are occupying it."

Shiru stood up and shook his head. "My apologies Master Shen, but the lock hasn't been undone in so long it has rusted over."

Shen's eyebrow raised in puzzlement. "How? I would think the gate would have to be opened for supply runs."

"That's the beauty of Tuula." Kaisi chimed in. "We grow everything we need here. It keeps the guests busy and gives them a sense of satisfaction. We are also pleased to tell you we haven't had any cases severe enough to be brought here ever since Khada."

Akali frowned. "So what are you saying? That you can't open the gate?"

Shiru shook his head. "Not at present. We will have to send for a locksmith, and that could take a week at least. Are you certain that your visit is really-"

 **CLANG**

His words were cut off as Akali leaped forward and chopped downwards with a single hand. The lock shattered into three pieces against the force of her blow, and the chains fell away as she stepped back to survey her work. "The locksmith is here." She said dryly. "Now let us in."


	5. Act I: Chapter III

Jinx shifted uncomfortably, wrinkling her nose at the smell of swamp. By now she was pretty sure that the inside of the River King smelled as gross as he looked. She had done some crazy things in her short life, but even she thought twice about the prospect of getting inside the River King's maw. However the second that Fishbones thought it was a bad idea, she figured that it wouldn't be too bad. After all, she was pretty sure the River King couldn't carry her on his back and take her through the ocean.

Now here she was in a dank, musty, surprisingly spacious, mouth. "Hey, you aren't going to eat me are you?" She asked aloud. "Because if you are I'm afraid Fishbones is going to blast me out."

A chuckle reverberated deep inside the River King's body, and Jinx shook along with it. _"Child, I have no intention on feasting on you. I have a much bigger appetite on what you have to offer me in exchange. However I will tell you in advance, this leg of our journey will take some time. How's about I tide you over with a little story?"_

Jinx's eyes brightened in excitement. Or at least she think they brightened. She couldn't see much of anything. "Oooh, story time! Neato! What is it?"

 _"It's the story of one of my past... friends. On our deal."_

Jinx felt the River King move, then heard a muffled splash, then continuous movement in one direction. "Guess we're headed to Ionia guys!" She whispered excitedly. "Can't wait to tell Jhin about this guy!"

 _"Our story begins on the desert plains of Shurima, where a warrior-queen resided."_

 _"She had everything a queen could ask for; exotic beauty, fine riches, and her mighty empire undivided."_

 _"But she still wasn't satisfied. You see, her empire was stable and not a complaint to be made among her people."_

 _"But the queen wanted more land, more power, more wealth, and she was willing to tear down a steeple."_

 _"Now this queen was desperate to get what she rightfully deserved; and so one night, she went out to the oasis. There she-"_

"Hey what was her name?" Jinx asked suddenly.

" _Her name is lost to time I'm afraid, the fact that I do not remember fills my heart to overflowing with shame._ "

"Hey!" Jinx said. "You're rhyming off of me now? Really?"

 _"Now now child, mind your manners and don't interrupt. Once I finish your questions may come freely."_

 _"Anyway, she heard a voice, calling to her from the depths of the sparkling water of the oasis."_

 _"And may I just say, the promises that this dapper fellow from the waters offered were irresistible. Shurima as the mightiest empire was the basis."_

 _"'I can offer you anything you desire.' The siren from the depths promised. 'I only hunger. When the time comes you will give me what I crave.'"_

 _"When she heard the chance to have what was denied her, she struck a deal without a second thought; 'Whatever he takes I can take it back.' She muttered to herself as she struck a deal. 'This creature is frightening, but he will not deny me my right. For my empire I will be brave.'"_

 _"And so in the time span of nine months, the empire expanded across the sandy sea, and as if the gods themselves smiled upon her, a happy baby was born."_

 _"The queen was overjoyed at her good fortune, 'I have a grand empire, and now an heir to pass it on. From my family this empire will not be torn.'"_

 _"In time she had forgotten that the siren was due for a visit. Even when reminded she refused to prepare or plan. 'When he comes I will gut him.' She thought treacherously. 'Without him my empire will thrive.'"_

 _"However, I would not be denied my due, and on the child's first birthday, I arrived."_

 _"I devoured all I laid my eyes on; cake, presents, servants. Yet my horrible hunger wasn't satisfied."_

 _"The queen wept and begged, for my hungry sights were on her child next. 'Oh please spare my child!' She cried."_

 _"'Take anything else I beg, you will not be denied!'"_

 _"I gave her a wicked smile and said with relish. 'Woman, you told me I could have what I craved. You were the fool who failed to ask what it was I hungered for!'"_

 _"Her child was a light snack. Her husband was the main course. I devoured everything in her palace before turning to her wretched form and gave her a weight that she had since bore."_

 _"'Suffering is my honest craving. It is my real feast, and I have eaten my fill of yours.'"_

" _So take this as a lesson my friend. Keep it at heart._ "

" _If you are going to make a deal with me, you had better be smart._ "

Jinx was silent for a bit. "So... you couldn't have told me this before I said yes?"

 _"The best part of creating a deal that cannot be backed out of and satisfies my hunger child, is roping suckers into it time after time. You are simply another in the long line."_ The River King's voice did not attempt to hide his self-satisfaction.

"Oh. Well here's the thing. I never said the word 'deal.'" Jinx said smugly.

The River King paused for a long time. When he finally spoke it was sprinkled with a begrudging respect. _"You're sharper than you look girl, and I can respect that. Tell you what. I will take you the rest of the way to your destination free of charge."_

Jinx tried to stretch out in self-satisfaction, but the River King's mouth was too cramped. "Hey, you want to hear a story?"

The King chuckled. _"As a matter of fact I would like to hear a tale. Spin one for me if you may."_

Jinx pulled out Fishbones and Pow-Pow. "This is the story of how Fishbones got married! To a pretty lady called Whisper!"

* * *

Caitlyn stepped from the docks of the Ionian Capital Seaport with her face glued to a map. The fragrant smell of the air gave her pause, and she put the map down to breathe in the aroma appreciatively. If there was one thing that Piltover lacked, it was nature. Caitlyn personally had never missed it or wished that it was more abundant in her hometown, but now that she could see the full beauty that nature had to offer, part of her wished that Piltover had a little more than the flowerpots on apartment buildings.

Vi vaulted over the rails of the boat to land hard on the docks, only wincing slightly from the residual pain in her spine. The armor augments Heimerdinger installed worked wonders in softening the blow as much as was feasibly possible, but it was impossible to completely prevent the pain. Not that Vi was complaining however. She had dealt and taken harsher punishment than the tickle to her spine.

"Now Vi," Caitlyn said as Vi came up. "We are not in Piltover anymore, we are in another nation. Ionia is well known as the peacekeeper among nations and in its own borders. They will not respond the same way to wanton violence as Piltover would. So do try not to destroy anything."

VI shrugged. "No promises."

"I'm trusting you with this Vi; do not mess this up. We need good relations with the Ionian Elders if we ever hope to get to the bottom of who this lotus belongs to. Now do me a favor and help me find the capital building." She turned the map another way with a frown.

Vi rolled her eyes and with a massive hand grabbed the map from Caitlyn and tossed it on the ground. "Look forwards cupcake." She said.

Caitlyn nearly flushed with embarrassment, as the building was almost literally in front of them. "Ahem. Right. Thank you." She recovered in a hurry and went up to the door, using the knocker on the side with vigor.

The building itself was very impressive, and spoke bounds about its importance. Handcrafted wood was the basis of the construction, with stone flooring and sweeping curves captured in sculptures decorated the grounds.

A smiling woman opened the door and said, "Welcome Sheriff Caitlyn, Deputy Vi. It's an honor for you to join us."

Vi's lip twitched in irritation. "Don't call me deputy."

"It is an honor to be here." Caitlyn said, ignoring Vi. "My partner and I would like to speak to the elders about the man who used one of these." She pulled out the deactivated trap from the bag she carried on her shoulder beside her rifle.

The woman's smile faded slightly, but she kept up the illusion of happiness for a bit longer. "Right this way."

After Caitlyn and Vi entered the building, the woman closed it behind them and led them deeper inside the building.

Caitlyn was an observant individual, and it helped in her line of work. After all, how was she going to notice anything out of the ordinary if she didn't know what ordinary was?

Unlike the more orderly offices and workstations that Piltover had in its government capital, Ionia's politicians didn't seem like politicians at all relaxing on comfortable mats in wide empty chambers and chatting amiably.

She raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "Excuse me." She asked their guide. "Are these your politicians?"

The woman smiled and shook her head. "No madam, we have no need for politicians here."

"I like this place already!" Vi piped up.

Caitlyn shot Vi a look while the woman continued. "The only form of central government that Ionia needs is the Elder Council. You see, Ionia is divided into provinces, and each province has its own ruling council. We feel that more localized councils can better serve the people. Every year the Elders of each of the ruling councils come here to share ideas and to coordinate Ionia's progress."

"Sounds pretty clever." Caitlyn mused. "Are these the elders?" She asked, motioning to the people in the chamber.

The women shook her head again. "These are guests. Sometimes they want to speak with the elders, sometimes they wish to volunteer in the upkeep. Other times they wish only to meditate or convene with other like-minded individuals on the philosophies of government. But it is all mostly for sport. We have a very loose grip on our people. We feel that when given room to grow, people will grow upwards, towards the sun."

Caitlyn was skeptical. She'd seen plenty of vile people over the course of her career; she doubted a change of scenery that wasn't prison would change them. But she didn't feel a need to argue. Instead she asked,"Are there any elders here right now?"

The woman nodded. "One of them is; I'm taking you to her now."

They left the larger chambers to climb several stair cases to the third floor of the building. The feel and layout of the floor reminded her of a hotel, only with much larger and more lavish rooms. However the opulence here was quiet, and more focused on relaxing the individual than screaming wealth.

"This is her quarters." Their guide said, motioning to a wooden door that looked no different than the others.

"Huh," Vi muttered. "Figured this would be more impressive. How do they tell their rooms apart?"

Before Caitlyn could interject their guide replied, "Each elder has their own living chambers here in the building, customized to their liking. It is like a second home to them. They would get lost no more than you would in going to your room inside of a large house. After a little bit it becomes second nature. Now, go speak to her. I will wait outside." She stood to the side of the door and knocked once.

"Thank you for your help." Caitlyn said to their guide with a slight bow.

"Yeah, thanks." Vi chimed in.

The door swung open and Caitlyn was greeted by a woman in flowing robes and dark skin. Her brown hair was cropped short and was accentuated by golden earrings wrapped partially in ribbon.

Her robe was cut in a way that did not reveal much of her legs, but Caitlyn's sharp eye did notice peculiar tattoos decorating the woman's legs, the dark skin being accented by the green fiery markings.

Caitlyn glanced beyond the woman into her room, and noticed two glass cases containing items that were likely important to her.

One case contained a peculiar mantle of sorts, complete with a set of what looked like aesthetic wings.

The other, lying on a soft cushion, was a pair of fans, artfully crafted.

"My name is Karma." The woman said, giving a slight bow. "I am the Elder of the province of Navori. How may I assist you?"


	6. Act I: Chapter IV

**A/N Phew, college is picking up so it may take longer than usual to pump out the next chapter, it's just a matter of finding the time and motivation to sit down and write in long stretches with my schedule. Either way, enjoy!**

 _Khada Jhin floated in a white void. A quick look at his hands confirmed he was wearing his costume. He felt strangely self-conscious whenever this dream occurred, and wanted to make sure he had it on._

 _Twin crimson theater curtains swept into existence in front of him, and Jhin knew the show was about to begin. He fell, and soon landed in a comfy seat of the same blood red. A quick look around confirmed he was in the theater, front row. The curtains were still closed, but it was expected. He was four minutes early as usual._

 _He looked in the seat beside him on the left, and saw the program neatly resting on it. He picked it up and read it aloud, as he always did._

 _"Tonight, a shining star performs. A gifted celestial and a healer whose skills are envied by Piltover's finest doctors, she will pleasure you tonight with her angelic dance that can calm storms."_

 _"Wow, this is gonna be great huh?"_

 _Jhin started, not expecting the voice. In the seat to his right sat Jinx. Armed with a giant bucket of popcorn, her attention was riveted on the curtains. She was new. "Why, yes." Jhin said warmly, recognizing his fellow producer. "This will be our first big performance together. I cannot wait to see how it turns out."_

 _"Me neither." Jinx said excitedly. She offered the bucket to him. "Want some?"_

 _"Oh I couldn't." Jhin insisted. "I never eat on the first performance of the season."_

 _"Aw come on..." Jinx pleaded, shoving it in his face. "Do it for me, partner!"_

 _Jhin was the agent of Order, he knew this. However there was no harm in humoring Chaos every once in a while. Besides, as the agent of Chaos Jinx could and should push him like this. In the same way he could push her to being more orderly at times. In this way they could become more intertwined in their thoughts and actions, and create true art._

 _"Alright." He conceded, reaching for the popcorn. "I'll take some."_

 _Jinx's happiness was palpable, and Jhin had to admit she looked almost like a different person when her smiles weren't motivated by passion towards her art. "Yes! You won't be disappointed, this has just the right amount of butter! There's exactly four pads in this bucket!"_

 _Jhin's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "Really? No wonder this was sublime."_ Have I done it? _He thought._ Has some of Order rubbed off on her already?

 _Jinx's eyes suddenly turned mischievous. "However... There's_ _ **five**_ _scoops of popcorn in the bucket." She giggled with a devilish grin, holding up five fingers._

 _Jhin couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you certainly have a gift for surprise."_

 _"Yeah, and you have a gift for that planning stuff." Jinx answered. "A true artist."_

 _Jhin was touched. "Well, I cannot take the credit alone, partner."_

 _Before Jinx could reply, the theater darkened. Spotlights appeared and trained on the rising curtains. "This is it." Jhin whispered, his pulse quickening. "This is our first production."_

 _The curtain raised, and a celestial in a flowing white robe was revealed. There was a strange exotic beauty in her lavender skin and golden eyes, at least Jhin was certain it was the case among her kind. Whatever her kind was. Her white robe reached to the floor, and her head was lowered with her eyes closed. A golden sash adorned her waist, matching bracelets clasped around her wrists._

 _She raised her head, and her face had a serene expressionless look to it. Jhin leaned forwards to make sure he didn't miss a moment._

 _Her golden eyes opened and looked placidly ahead. She raised her arms slightly, and twirled around as she began her life's dance._

 _"One"_ Jhin whispered, keeping track of the acts he had written.

 _Part of Jhin feared that the long robe would hamper her movements, but his concerns were unfounded. She moved as gracefully as a Ionian Dreamdeer, and would leap and spin as if the robe wasn't there. She didn't speak a single word. She didn't need to. Her movements spoke bounds._

 _They spoke of the lonely and sad celestial that Jhin happened upon, under his guise as Khada. Her slow swaying motions showed her despair after being banished from her heavenly realm and her resulting loss of purpose. Every joyous leap told of their long talks, and how they began to become friends. It was Khada that introduced her to the village near her grove. It was Khada who made her hope again, who made her spirit soar whenever he showed up._

 _"Two."_

 _Her arm movements told of the healing she performed on the inhabitants of her new home, and her brightened face told of how she was not only accepted but embraced. She fell to her knees and acted out the motions of healing, and Jhin recalled all the times she treated wounds he received while pursuing a new art piece. She never knew the truth of his injuries of course, but it was for the best. He very much doubted she would understand his brand of art. Not until the end._

 _"Three."_

 _She leaped back to her feet and looked to the sky with her arms outstretched, then twirled back into the rest of her dance. It told of her quest of penance for her actions that had resulted in her banishment. Her dance here wasn't perfectly clear in its meaning, as while she and Khada were close, she had closed herself off whenever talks of what exactly she had done to deserve banishment came up._

 _She then did one more flair of movement then turned towards the silent audience of Jhin and Jinx, and fell to her knees. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she bit her lower lip in a silent protest of what was to come next. Jhin stared. Her beauty was certainly there, but it wasn't perfect. Not yet. She looked so vulnerable, so needy of adoration, of protection. This look would need to be immortalized. He had yet to create art of this kind of emotion._

 _This was why the fourth act was so necessary. It entombed the canvas in its most beautiful moment, and Soraka deserved this much. Whether she had developed any romantic feelings for Khada was unimportant, as all the emotion she had towards him was present in her face at this moment, to be treasured forever. Jhin himself certainly wanted to treat Soraka well, he wanted her to have the perfect death._

 _He stood up from his seat, and pulled out Whisper in a dramatic flair of reverence. It was loaded with the bullet of Spring, her favorite season._

 _"Four."_

 _Whisper's paint of life laced through Soraka's forehead, shattering her horn and killing her swiftly. She fell to the wooden floor, blood escaping the wound in her head. A single rose flew from the seats to land on the stage. A beautiful performance to the last._

 _It was done. Jhin turned to Jinx and whispered, "Come, the final piece is awaiting us."_

 _Jinx didn't answer. Her face was solemn. She followed him to the stage, still clutching her popcorn._

 _When they climbed the staircase to the stage, Jhin was beside himself in joy. What he saw was a glorious painting, raised from the floor._

 _Soraka's body was frozen in the beautiful pose of the vibrant body in flight, from a slanted angle. While her back was flat against the stage floor, her legs were bent on the floor in the motion of turning in midair. Her right leg was extended straight outwards from her body at a slight angle at the hip, and her left leg was bent slightly to create the effect of motion captured. Her right arm was extended as well, her fingers loose and parallel to her right leg._

 _Her left arm was against her chest, clutching the rose and holding it to her lavender lips. They were slightly parted as if sighing in pleasure from smelling the flower. Her eyes were closed, and the shattered pieces of her horn fell among her loose snow white hair to form a halo._

 _Her blood pooled around her body in the shape of angelic wings. Not one drop soiled her robe. Surely she was art, an angel of artistic magnificence._

 _Jhin looked upon his masterpiece in pride, then his world exploded._

* * *

Jhin awoke with a start as a secondary explosion sounded in the direction of the coastal harbor. He got up from his nap among the mossy trees that littered the Fyri Forest and stretched, wondering briefly why he didn't sleep in the hotel. He looked down at himself and remembered why. He was in full costume. He checked his pocket watch. It was the day Jinx was supposed to arrive, and she certainly announced her presence well.

He checked his equipment to make sure they were sound, then casually walked down to the harbor.

He was fully prepared to handle curious stares from the townspeople, as he usually came here as Khada. But there was nobody to be seen. The entire city was abandoned, and two buildings were smoking pieces of rubble.

 _At the very least,_ Jhin thought, _I know what scared them off._

He looked around for signs of Jinx, but he didn't even hear the sounds of her guns blazing. Curious indeed. Did she think he was late and decided to go elsewhere?

He wandered to the city square and noted that the plaque dedicating the city to one of the nature spirits was plastered graffiti. When he got closer he realized that there were words written on it.

HEY, IF YOU'RE READING THIS, THEN YOU BETTER RUN!

BECAUSE THERE'S A SUPER MEGA DEATH ROCKET HEADED THIS WAY TO MAKE THE BIGGEST EXPLOSION EVER!

IT MAY TAKE A WHILE CUZ I WENT WAAAAAY OFF SO I COULD SEE THE ROCKET TRAVEL!

SO UH, YEAH, UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE DEBRIS I SUGGEST YOU RUN, KAY?

3 JINX

Jhin whirled around and his face paled to the color of his mask. He could see the rocket coming now. It was almost close enough to hear. With a startled cry escaping his lips, he took off at full speed towards the ocean nearby.

No sooner did he jump into the cool water did the world above him flash white and rattled his eardrums with a deafening explosion.

He climbed out of the water when he was sure it was safe, then immediately regretted it when he started having to dodge debris that was falling from the sky. One particular plank of wood hit him on the head, and made him see stars briefly.

He thought it was his head injury that made him see the figure walking through the smoke that covered the area, lit by scattered fires.

Jinx tossed her hair back and hefted Fishbones on her shoulder. "Hey Jhin, ya miss me?" She asked with a wide grin.

* * *

The legacy of the Kinkou Order followed Elder Kaisi into the depths of Tuula prison. Shen had tried prying the old man for any information on Jhin's current state, but the elder's lips were sealed on that matter.

The elder seemed more interested in talking about the prison, or rehabilitation center as they liked to call it. On and on Kaisi prattled on about Tuula's success rate and how well the inmates, or guests, were treated there. He insisted that their fine treatment contributed directly to their speed in recovery.

"Regular prisons fill them with negative energy." Kaisi was saying. "If they work to empty themselves of this negative energy, the system fills them up again, making rehabilitation impossible. However here we continuously pour positive, lively energy into their lives. We work with them to eliminate their negative energies and they are cured in no time."

"Has this worked with Jhin?" Shen asked, trying to guide the conversation back to a useful avenue.

"Did you know that our success rates have doubled in the past decade?" Elder Kaisi asked warmly.

"Enough stalling." Akali snapped. "Tell us what we want to know."

Elder Kaisi stopped at a large door separating the courtyard from the inner sanctums. A bin sat nearby. He motioned to it while moving to block the door. "As part of our commitment to keep negative energies from our guests, we ask if you would leave your weapons here."

Akali stiffened. "Not a chance."

Shen nodded in agreement. "This is hardly a usual visit. We are visiting someone potentially still dangerous. We would like to keep our weapons. What if we kept them concealed?"

Kaisi shook his head. "I am afraid I cannot allow this. Weapons carry a negative energy about them, visible or not."

"I'm staying outside then." Akali said defiantly, then she turned to Shen and bowed. "If anything happens Master Shen, signal and I'll be there."

Shen hesitated a moment, then conceded. "Alright." He removed his steel sword and his spirit sword and placed them, still sheathed, reverently inside the bin. "Are you coming with me Kennen?" He asked.

Kennen shook his head. "Not a chance. Sorry Shen, but I know they are going to have us just sit quietly in front of Jhin's masseuse door waiting for him to come out. No thanks."

Shen nodded understandingly. "I see. Well, I need some quiet time to meditate anyway. I will come back with the information needed."

Kaisi then stepped to the side and allowed Shen to pass. Closing the door behind them, Elder Kaisi led the way.

Further attempts by Shen to glean information were ignored, and as they walked two more monks joined them.

"They need to give Jhin his supper." Kaisi explained.

Eventually they came to a door numbered 44.

Shen waited as Kaisi knocked softly on the door. After a moment Kaisi said, "He must be asleep."

Shen was immediately suspicious. "How do you know he simply refused to answer, or didn't hear you?"

"He has always responded before." Kaisi said.

"Check if he's in there." Shen said, suddenly very keen on getting inside.

"We have the well-being and privacy of our guests to think about." Kaisi said gently. "He will have to come out eventually. If he is being difficult then he will simply have nothing to eat."

"I don't have that kind of time." Shen said as he realized that they had no intention on letting him in. "You're hiding something Kaisi, and I want to know what it-" CRACK!

His words were interrupted by a sudden stick to a pressure point in his back followed by a swift kick to his face. Shen went down hard, his head spinning as his training slowly came back to him. His reflexes were sluggish however due to the strike to his back, and half of the time he couldn't even move a muscle even if he wanted to.

When the monks to his side roughly grabbed his arms and lifted him up, he noted that he was on the ground a moment before, and the pain of landing came to him a moment later.

Kaisi opened the door and gestured to the empty room with the smile still plastered on his face. "It's _Master_ Kaisi dear ninja."

Shen was thrown into the room, and assigned a guard that monitored his ki flow and struck him in another pressure point when Shen started to get feeling back in his body. When Shen collapsed on the floor again, he was bound by ki cuffs lined on the inside with spikes, designed to restrict Shen's use of his ki.

Shen couldn't speak at the moment, but his very alert and deadly calm eyes spoke volumes.

"Don't worry about your students Master Shen." Kaisi said as he turned to shut the door on him. "They will join you shortly. You must understand, this is all necessary. We will free you after a month, but right now we cannot afford you three looking for Jhin at this moment."

Shen's mind raced. Jhin wasn't here.

His dream was accurate. Khada Jhin was free to terrorize the world once again.

Akali waited for what felt like five minutes when Elder Kaisi returned. "Where's Shen?" She asked.

Kaisi smiled warmly. "Shen wanted me to tell you to meet him at the capital. We went in to see Jhin, but something troubled Shen. Instead of telling me what it was, he told me to give you two this message and then teleported away."

Kennen was saying something about wasted time, but Akali didn't hear him. Her eyes flickered, ever so slightly, down to the weapon box. Both of Shen's blades were still in there. Most interesting of all was that the spirit blade had not moved an inch since Shen's entry inside. Her eyes flickered back up to Kaisi within a fraction of a second, and while she didn't smile in acknowledgement, her lips didn't frown either as she nodded. "We'll leave right away Master Kaisi." She said.

With that she turned on her heel and dutifully walked out of the inner courtyard, with Kennen in tow. The pair said nothing as they walked through the outer ring of the complex towards the outer wall and exit. Akali's mind was busy churning up a plan.

Shiru was still at the now permanently unlocked gate, and Akali found it strange that he didn't show any surprise towards Shen's absence. He stepped aside without a word and let them pass.

The two ninja disappeared inside the forest that surrounded the north side of Tuula Prison, and immediately stopped. "Shen's in trouble." Akali said in a rushed whisper.

Kennen nodded quickly. "I guessed. Shen would never leave to go anywhere without telling us." He replied.

"It's not just that; his spirit sword didn't leave the weapon box. His spirit sword always travels with him when he crosses the astral plane."

Kennen grinned. "Guess it wasn't such a stupid idea for Shen to bind his ki to the spirit sword huh?"

Akali's lip twitched in annoyance. She had yet to give Shen slack for binding his ki to the spirit sword, and she wasn't planning on doing it any time soon. "It is a stupid idea." She asserted. "The thing literally floats in the spirit world and has a giant tether on him. Anybody with the slightest amount of spirit sense would see him coming a mile away thanks to that eyesore."

"It doesn't look that bad." Kennen insisted. "It's pretty cool."

Akali was certain at this point that Kennen just grew used to the thing, as he was much more in tune with the spirit world than she was, and therefore could see it all the time, whereas she could only see it after meditation. "We're wasting time here. I need you to go to the capital and tell the elders about what's going on here. Do not go to the Tuula Elder if you can help it. I'll stay here and free Shen."

Kennen nodded. "Good luck. I'll meet you at the capital." With that, he shot off through the forest as his body crackled with energy. Akali didn't have the heart to tell him that he in fact could not go the speed of lightning.

She turned back to the complex, the final stages of her plan forming in her mind. She pulled the green mask over her lower face and crept stealthily to the western edge of the wall. She calculated that she could get to the inner courtyard fastest once she scaled it.

Brandishing her kama, she dug one between the bricks and pulled herself up. She used her other arm to dig her other kama into the bricks and pull herself higher. Once she reached sufficient height, she dug the toes of her shoes into cracks in the wall for extra foot holds. Once she got a pattern down, she swiftly scaled the wall. She stopped at the top, poking her head over the top in a sweep for sentries. Her suspicions were correct: there was lax security here.

She leapt onto the top of the stone wall, and wasted no time climbing down the other side into the inner courtyard. Once she reached the ground, she slipped her kama back into her belt and did a final check for signs of life. Satisfied that there none, she walked to the weapons box and inspected it.

As she expected, the spirit sword was right where Shen left it. The monks must not have gotten the sense to move them. _Which makes no sense._ She thought. _If they were spiritual in the slightest, they would have seen the tether and realized that Shen was making a literal path to him._ The implications made her tense slightly. With an effort, she forced herself to calm completely. She needed to meditate.

She dropped to a cross-legged position and closed her eyes. While Shen and Kennen could see into the spirit world with little effort, Akali had to do special exercises, but she never minded. Shen and Kennen had given up some of their time for physical training for their studies in the spiritual arts. Akali had no such excuse.

She lowered the mask from her face; the last thing she needed was restricted airflow.

She breathed in slowly and deeply, and softly chanted in an ancient Ionian dialect designed to hone her ki, and focus it inwards towards her spirit, then outwards. The twin dragons of Body and Spirit twirled endlessly in her mind's eye. As she spoke, she imagined Body to descend, and Spirit to ascend.

 _"Lath Na Ryi. Sae Eleisa Ryi. Lath Na Ryi. Sae Eleisa Ryi."_

After a few moments, she felt her senses heighten. She felt her awareness reach down inside her, and thoroughly embrace her spirit. Her awareness then spread out, searching for other spirits. With her eyes still closed, Akali knew the closest person was currently Shiru, and he was nowhere near her position. She didn't bother sensing farther outwards, as she was in a secluded area. She opened her eyes slowly and was greeted with what was simultaneously an eyesore and a vital clue.

The spirit sword glowed brighter than usual, and a faint purple line radiated from it, pointed straight inside the inner chambers. Akali sprang to her feet and went towards the weapons box. Leaving the spirit sword behind, she took Shen's steel blade and strapped it to her back.

She slowly pushed the doors; even though they didn't make a sound she opened them just enough for her to slip through, and closed them behind her. She pulled the mask back over her face and then went to work.

She used the shadows for cover, creeping with the perfect balance of speed and stealth. She didn't run into anybody as she sprinted down the halls, but several times she had to stop moving or change direction to avoid running into somebody. She had no intentions on killing anybody. Yet.

Once she was nearly discovered.  
As she slid her shoulder across a wall to avoid a monk's detection, she froze as the armor on her upper arm scraped against the stone wall. In a stroke of luck, the monk sneezed at around the same time, and therefore didn't notice the blunder. He went on his merry way and Akali thought of Shen with irritation. She still didn't understand why he insisted she change her outfit. While she honored his wishes as he was the current master of the order, she still resented the more armored clothing at times. Master Kusho saw nothing wrong with her previous one.

Soon she came to a room where Shen's presence radiated. Across from the door stood a monk, dressed as a fighter rather than in loose fitting robes like his brothers.

She frowned. She didn't have time to get around him.

She leaped out of the shadows and slashed out with her kama, as silent as the night. The monk died before he hit the ground, actually hitting it with a rather loud THUD.

A swift kick brought the door down. Shen was on the floor in an incredibly uncomfortable position, looking completely paralyzed. A small pool of drool pooled around his face. The monk next to him keeping him sedated only had time to leap to his feet before he was dispatched in the same manner with which she killed the first.

After she finished, she turned and examined the cuffs. _Ki locks._ She thought irritably. _This is going to be a pain to remove. For him anyway._ "Hold still." She said aloud as she placed Shen's wrists flat on the floor to give the cuffs something to rest on.

"Akaaal-" Shen started, but his words slurred beyond that point. "Waaaii...AHHH!" His final attempt to speak was cut off in a pained shout as it felt like his cuffs suddenly contracted hard enough to send the spikes straight through his wrists.

Akali's foot swung around and came down hard on the cuffs, splintering them into pieces. Her foot stopped after striking the cuffs so she wouldn't hurt Shen too much. "Come on, get up." She reached down and helped Shen get to his feet. He nearly fell over from the numbness in his limbs, so he leaned on Akali for support. "Now, what were you going to tell me?" She asked.

"Not to kick me in the wrists just to break the cuffs." Shen said, using his now free sleeve to wipe his mouth.

"Whoops." She replied dryly. "What did you find out about Jhin?"

Shen stiffened, then looked at her with a look that seemed almost haunted. "The only thing I found out is that he isn't here anymore."

Akali did a double take. "What? That's impossible. No prisoner has escaped Tuula prison before."

"Apparently Jhin has." Shen said. "What's worse is that the monks here know it but act as if he's still here. They are hiding his absence, though I cannot imagine the reason why." He looked around. "Where's Kennen?"

"He's going to the capital, to warn the elders that Jhin has escaped."

Shen nodded. "Alright. We have to meet him there. We can then figure out if the Tuula Elder knew of this yet said nothing." He looked to Akali. "Put your arms around me and hold tight."

Akali's eyebrow raised. "What?"

Shen didn't catch her tone. "I'm going to teleport to Kennen's current location, which should get us close enough to the capital to get there on foot. I need you to hold on to me tightly so you can be taken along for the ride."

Understanding flickered across Akali's face, and she immediately felt a flush of foolishness for assuming Shen's intentions. "Right. My mistake Shen." _You know you've been doing too many solo assignments when you've forgotten how your friends are._ She thought with a twinge of regret as Shen opened a portal across dimensions. She knew what Shen's upbringing had been like, and what the last few years had put him through, and knew for a fact that there was only one thing on his mind, now and perhaps for the rest of his life.

The maintenance of Balance.

Shen prepared to teleport to Kennen, and one thought echoed throughout his mind. It had been bothering him for quite some time.

 _I wonder what I can grab for lunch today..._


	7. Act II: Chapter I

**A/N Hey guys! I haven't forgotten, I'm just really busy nowadays. But I will finish this! I promise!**

The harbor was still smoking as Jhin and Jinx retreated into the Fyri forest. The setting sun's light filtered through the lush canopy as Jhin led the way back to his cottage.

Jhin had walked through the forest enough to know how to get though without making a sound, but Jinx stomped through with a smile of mirth pasted on her face. "Hey Jhin, when are we getting to your place?" She asked as she smashed a rather thick branch beneath her boots.

"It shouldn't be much farther." Jhin answered as he picked his way through the undergrowth. He pushed aside some branches and looked back as he let them go. "Just push your way through." He said as he saw Jinx level Pow-Pow. "You'll make too much noise if you try to shoot your way through."

"Aww, but there's nobody around!" Jinx pouted. "Why do you care if I shoot up a couple of trees?"

"Because then my hidden home won't be so hidden, now will it? I'd have to move. Again."

"You mean you actually have a house? I thought you lived in a treehouse or something."

Jhin chuckled. "I never liked treehouses. They always seemed so precarious."

Jinx's reply was cut short by a rustling sound in the bushes to their left. Before Jhin could stop her, Jinx swung Pow-Pow around and slung several rounds into the bushes, shredding through trees and foliage in the process. "I SEE IT!" She shouted as she swung Pow-Pow around to follow her target.

Jhin didn't bother to reply. He dove to the ground , and was rewarded by not joining the surrounding flora in their destruction.

After a couple of seconds of continuous fire, Jinx finally stopped. She wiped her brow and swung Pow-Pow onto her shoulder. "Phew, that was close Jhin! It almost got us!"

"What almost got us?" Jhin asked from the ground.

Jinx shrugged. "Don't know. But it was pretty big. It was like _this_ big!" She spread out her arms to illustrate.

"Then why didn't I see anything?" Jhin asked with a hint of irritation.

"Well, you do only have one eye socket in that mask of yours."

An exasperated breath escaped Jhin's lips as he stood and brushed himself off. "Next time warn me before you shoot up the entire forest. The last thing I want is for people to know where I stay."

"Why don't you just shoot them? You do it a lot."

"Because if I just killed anybody who came to my home, then their friends would eventually get the hint and send a small army there." Jhin replied as he started moving again. He let out a sigh of satisfaction. "We are here."

"Let me see!" Jinx shoved past him and looked through the last layer of leaves, expecting to find a fancy house filled with artistic stuff. She was more than a little disappointing that it was merely a log cabin. "That's it? No wonder you travel so much."

"It is functional for my needs." Jhin said as he came up behind her. "Besides, this isn't Jhin's home. It belongs to Khada."

Jinx looked at him, her face wrinkling in confusion. "Isn't Khada your name?"

Jhin smiled beneath his mask. "As I am now, I am Jhin. Under the mask I am Khada."

"Ohhhh," Jinx said as she understood. "So you just change your name when you put the mask on?"

"Precisely. There is a village nearby. Just on the other side of the forest. It is called Grove due to its proximity to the Astral Grove, a mythical and enchanting arboreal paradise. I visit it often, people there know me as Khada, an artist living in the woods."

"What, would they turn you over to the cops if you showed up in costume?"

"There are no 'cops' here Jinx. Ionia is much different than Piltover. Scattered villages like this have security only among their own. The closest thing this nation has to regular security is the Kinkuo Order and even then they are, or were, more interested in preserving balance than solving real issues." Jhin towards his home as he spoke, and fished in his cloak for a key.

"Kinky order?" Jinx asked, barely stifling a giggle. "Maan, I wonder what their initiation rituals are!"

"It's Kinkuo Jinx. They are ninja."

"NINJA!" Jinx shouted in glee, causing Jhin to drop the key in the tall grass. "Ninja are like the coolest thing! Do they have smoke bombs? Can they turn invisible? Can they teach me how to chop a guy in half with my bare hand?!"

The barrage of questions only made Jhin more flustered as he tried to find the key in the grass. Only a frustrated growl was his response.

Only then did Jinx seem to notice that Jhin was irritable. "Watcha looking for?" She asked, bending down into the grass and seeing if she could find it.

"The key to my cabin." Jhin said as he ran his hands along the dirt, feeling for anything key-shaped. "I dropped it."

Jinx tsked. "You really have to take better care of your stuff. I wouldn't have been such a butterfingers."

Jhin gave her a single-eyed glare. "If you have nothing better to do, I suggest that you go to the door and wait for me."

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Whatever Mr. Grumpy." She sauntered over to the door and leaned in close to look at the lock. "Well Fishbones, what do you think of it?"

"Well, this seems to be a high quality door fashioned from fine Ionian Mahogany." Fishbones replied. "The grainwork here-"

"Hey know-it-all! I need to know about the lock! I don't care about what the door is made of."

"Um, it looks like plain iron."

"Hmm. You may be right Fishbones." Jinx eyeballed it. "Looks like it's made in a single piece. Custom made too. I know my locks, and this one isn't standard. Oh well, I've gotten into safes with better locks than this. You thinking what I'm thinking Fishy?"

"Actually-"

"Great!"

Jhin stood up at last. "Jinx, I have found the-" BOOOM!

Jhin's words died in his throat when the explosion occurred. Despite being nowhere close enough to the blast to feel anything, and despite the blast being much smaller than he was used to, Jhin was distraught. "key." He finished weakly.

Jinx gave him a smile as she put Fishbones away. "Don't worry partner! I got the door open!"

Jhin walked wordlessly to the doorway to inspect the damage. His grip on his key tightened. The fine Ionian Mahogany door was nothing but a pile of splinters now. The doorway was a little wider, and everything smelled like smoke.

"Hey, you had the key the whole time!" Jinx said, pointing to Jhin's key. "You should have told me before I blew up the lock. Oh well, learn something new every day!" She ran in with a whoop.

Jhin simply stood there in the doorway, wondering if taking Jinx as a partner was such a good idea. Sure, she was the embodiment of chaos to balance out his guardianship of order, but did they really have to live in the same house?

He walked in and made a note to have the craftsmen of Grove make him a new door. Preferably when Jinx wasn't around. He wasn't sure he could explain her pale skin to them. The superstitious among them might mistake her for a demon.

He made a sigh of relief when he saw the painting hanging on the wall opposite the doorway. Despite being directly in the line of fire it was undamaged.

Jinx already made herself home, kicking off her boots and lounging on the couch by the time Jhin walked in. The smell nearly floored Jhin. Being around Jinx in nowhere but open spaces before, he only now realized that Jinx rarely showered. "Gods Jinx! Take a bath!" He said as he tore off his mask to pinch his nose.

Jinx wrinkled her nose. "Eww, I don't need a bath. I'm not _that_ dirty."

"When was the last time?" Jhin gasped as he removed his cloak and stowed his equipment beneath the floorboards.

Jinx thought for a minute. "Um, I'm pretty sure I got caught in a rainstorm last week."

"I mean a real shower." Jhin said as he started to remove his armor. "One with soap."

"Oh! Well then I don't think I took one of those this year."

Jhin turned his head towards her slowly. "Upstairs there is soap. Go take it and a towel and go to the lake two minutes away from here and bathe. Now."

Jinx raised an eyebrow at the demand. "Do I have to, 'Dad'?"

"Look, if you're going to be staying in my home then you will do your part to make sure people don't find out I kill people."

"What does my bathing have to do with people finding out your big secret?"

"It's a figure of speech. What I mean is you smell like a corpse."

Jinx made a show of sniffing her armpits. She shrugged. "I got nothing."

"Probably because you killed your olfactory senses long ago." Jhin murmured. He was clad in nothing but his black bodysuit now. Aloud he said, "Please, do it this one time. Trust me, for the things that we will be doing tomorrow we have to not draw attention to ourselves."

"But I like attention." Jinx insisted.

Jhin looked at her for a minute longer, then turned to leave.

He came back downstairs wearing casual Ionian dress and with a bar of soap and a towel in his hands. "Here, I went through the trouble of getting them for you, now please get cleaned up."

Jinx's eyes widened slightly when she saw him. "Wow. You do not look at all like I was expecting."

Khada smiled slightly. "My features are quite plain, yes I know. However I have discovered that my unremarkable features lend themselves to my work quite well."

"I don't think they're unremarkable." Jinx said as she opened up Fishbones and fiddled with him. "You look nice. I wasn't expecting you to look like Jayce or anything."

Khada didn't know who Jayce was, but he took the compliment in stride. As his eyes started to water an idea came to mind. "It's getting late. I have a guest bedroom you can use."

Jinx looked up from her work. "You mean, like a real bedroom? With a real bed?" She was genuinely interested.

Some small part of Khada felt pity on the poor girl for not sleeping in a real bed for who knows how long. But he was on a mission. "Unfortunately I keep the beds very clean. They are for clean people only."

Jinx immediately frowned. "But beds are meant for sleeping. They don't have to be clean."

"They are meant to let the human body rest. I will not stand to sleep in filth. It is a breeding ground for disease and I'm surprised you're not swimming with illness."

"You may not, but I'm totally fine with it."

"My sheets are clean and they will stay this way."

Jinx looked at him intently for what felt like a long time. Then her face turned devilish and she got up and bolted, speeding past him up the stairs.

Khada turned and frantically tried to catch up. It was too late however, as Jinx threw open the first door she ran into. Unfortunately for her it was a walk-in closet.

"Sorry Jinx. This is the correct door." Khada said as he turned the key into the guest bedroom lock to secure it closed. He then casually stepped to another door and dashed in, closing and locking himself in his own bedroom.

"Hey! Open up!" Jinx shouted from the other side.

"Not until you clean up!" Khada shouted back. Part of him feared she was going to simply blow the door up. The next half-hour felt like four times that long.

Soon he heard a knocking on his door. Bracing one foot next to the door to prevent a forced entry, he gingerly opened the door and was pleasantly surprised by a grouchy Jinx wearing a towel with her hair completely wet and straight, reaching down to her ankles. She wordlessly held out a hand for the key.

Khada gladly produced the key and pressed it into her palm. "You will find the accommodations most pleasant in the guest bedroom."

Jinx took the key. "Thank you." She said sarcastically. She then turned and walked down the hall.

Khada closed the door, eager to have a night of long-awaited sleep. As he climbed into his cozy bed and closed his eyes he heard a knocking on his door. Wondering what it was Jinx wanted, he got up and went to answer.

"The door won't open." She said simply, her voice tinged with frustration. "The stupid key is stuck."

 _Ah yes,_ Khada thought, _That happens sometimes._ "Let me help." He said as he followed Jinx down the hall to the guest bedroom.

Sure enough the door was still locked, only this time the key was stuck halfway partially turned.

Khada shook his head in amazement. He would need to get a different locksmith if things like this kept happening. He reached for the key and prepared to wrestle it out of the lock; he was surprised when the key turned easily. He pushed open the door and saw the room had evidence of Jinx.

He didn't put two and two together until he heard his own bedroom door slam shut and the sound of a turning key made his heart sink.

"Nighty Night!" Jinx's suddenly chipper voice shouted from down the hall. "Sleep tight!"

Khada was furious, but his anger quickly gave out to his fatigue. Willing to sleep in any bed at this point, he resigned himself to sleep in the guest bedroom. He flopped onto the bed and closed his eyes, resolving to getting his room back in the morning. Despite his cabin being a rather peaceful abode, Khada never felt like it was worth staying in for more than a few days, as his work required him to travel. He didn't mind, as he found his home merely functional. It was a place he could say he lived to answer any questions asked, and it gave him shelter and rest. Other than that he disliked that place. He had always found it incredibly dull.

 _Just another thing Jinx turned on its head._ Khada thought as he turned over and went to sleep. _I just wish she would stop making things exciting at my expense._

* * *

 _Jhin was back in the theater._

 _He glanced at the theater program, and was a little disappointed to find out it wasn't Soraka._

 _The swords-master of the winds will perform!_

 _Surely his technique is a new art-form!_

 _The curtain raised and Yasuo appeared, dressed in a traditional Ionian robe and brandishing a blood red sword._

 _Jhin wasn't particularly interested in the show however, as this performance was more at the request of his employers. He was however pleased to find Jinx next to him._

 _"This guy's pretty good with a sword." Jinx remarked. "Pretty boring though."_

 _"Yes, he is a talented swordsman." Jhin agreed. "However his performance tomorrow will be his last and his greatest."_

 _"Cool." Jinx mumbled past her popcorn. "Are we doing this tomorrow?"_

 _"We are." Jhin confirmed. "Our show tomorrow will be extraordinary." He breathed._

 _"Want some?" Jinx asked, offering him popcorn._

 _"Of course." Jhin said, reaching for some. He took the popped kernels and sniffed them, expecting to smell the sweet buttery scent of popcorn. Instead he smelled smoke._

* * *

"Jhin, Jhin, Jhin, hey Jhin."

Khada awoke to Jinx poking him while whispering his name constantly. "What?" He mumbled as he turned over. It didn't occur to him to ask how she got in the room.

"Um... What do I do when this happens?" She pointed out the window.

He turned and looked out the window, and let out a choked cry of alarm. The forest was nearly an inferno. He looked to Jinx with a mixture of both incredulity and anger.

Jinx raised her hands defensively. "Don't look at me, I didn't do all of it!"


	8. Act II: Chapter II

Vi was utterly and completely bored with herself. The first week of their trip to Ionia revealed little to help them solve the mystery of who Jinx's new partner was. So far all they had learned was that the traps were the handiwork of a maniac called the Golden Demon. Karma wasn't in the Tuula region at the time of the Golden Demon's rampage, but she had reliable sources on his handiwork. Not to mention the Elder from Tuula was very cooperative, showing the two Piltoveran cops everything they needed to know about this masked man, even his name. Jhin.

Vi was currently studying a sketch of the man himself, in full costume. She had no problem believing that Jinx would work with someone just as unhinged as she was, for a time. She only had two questions at this point. _Where are they? And will we get there before one of them kills the other?_ She thought as she turned the picture over in her bare hands. She had left her gauntlets in her room this morning, as Ionia proved itself to be incredibly boring.

Piltover had criminals at least once a week, and when things ran dry Vi could always let off steam down in Zaun. As a result she had grown used to wearing her gauntlets every time she went outside. But in Ionia, things seemed to be peaceful all of the time, and her gauntlets only served as a hindrance. After three days Caitlyn had insisted that the gauntlets weren't necessary, but after a whole week with no activity Vi finally relented. She was still wearing her powered suit however, as it doubled as a spine brace.

She winced in pain as pain flared up in her spine, a cruel reminder that she came just a little too close to being paralyzed. Vi bit through the pain and didn't let it show on her face. She heard a snap as the toothpick she had in her mouth broke under the pressure of her bite. She was itching for action, specifically any action that involved putting Jinx into the dirt with a well-aimed punch. Whether said punch sent Jinx to the hospital or morgue started to not become a cause of concern. She frowned, as she knew she ought to be better than this, as one of the tenants of the Piltover Police Core was to never kill unnecessarily. _But isn't it necessary?_ She thought as she started thinking of Jinx's manic smile instead of Jhin. _She's a menace to society, and she'll find a way out of any prison we throw her into._

She shook her head to clear her mind, and winced as the sudden movement prompted more pain flaring from her back. She had turned down painkillers as they would have made her sluggish and unfit to fight in an emergency, but she was starting to wonder if she was in any condition to fight now. _If I have to, I'll do what I need to._ She promised herself as she looked up from the picture and took in everything around her for what felt like the first time.

She was leaning on a wall next to the door, in a room that looked like it was made entirely from wood. The wood was different for the walls and floor, and the ceiling even had an artisan design to disguise the wood it was made from. In the center of the room was a table, and around it sat Karma, Caitlyn, and four other Elders of the regions of Ionia. They were currently in animated conversation, however the subject matter was of no interest to Vi, as they had already gone through all of the information about Jhin in the first 4 days of their visit. Caitlyn was currently telling them about Jinx, and the threat she and Jhin could be if they were truly united and not just working loosely together only to break up the next minute and try to kill each other.

However Elder Rovar, the elder of the Tuula region, vehemently denied that Jhin was on the loose, as Vi imagined it would make his fabled prison look bad. Caitlyn was a bit more optimistic however, and was currently debating with him as to why he could actually be on the loose, and what it could mean for Ionia. Vi blew out her breath irritably. The only reason they were even talking about this instead of checking out the prison themselves was because every elder held full authority over their regions, and had to ask permission from another elders before sending military personnel or, in Vi and Caitlyn's case, foreign law enforcement. The only two groups that could go into any region they wished were the Wuju Bladesmen and the Kinkou Order.

"Elder Rovar," Caitlyn began again, showing none of the irritation that Vi knew she had, "We have reason to believe that Jhin was not only missing from your prison, but was also causing trouble in Piltover. The traps, the evidence of exotic gunpowder at the sites, and my partner's eyewitness account of seeing the man there himself."

Rovar turned to Vi, his small eyes studying her closely inside its nest of pinched fat that could be called a face. "Are you certain?" The large man asked, his eyes somehow narrowing further.

Vi entertained the thought of his eyes sinking completely into the ocean of blubber, but managed to keep from cracking a smile. "Yeah, I saw him. He looked exactly like this." She held up the picture. "And you can't tell me this wasn't him. From how you described him, from his habit to whisper when he speaks to his obsession with theater, that was Jhin."

"It could have been a pretender." Rovar insisted. "An admirer in fact. The real Jhin would have no reason to even go to your little city."

"Elder Rovar," Caitlyn cut in, "Surely you have no problem with us simply going to inspect this prison. If he's there than that's that, we simply have to follow Jinx's trail instead of Jhin's."

Elder Rovar blustered. "You dare insinuate that my prison isn't adequate? That any unarmed and scrawny man can just get up and leave? I'll have you know that my monks are trained well in martial arts, nobody can just get up and leave!"

"We all are fully aware of your prison's proud name." Karma said gently. "In fact we still tell stories to our children, telling them to never fear evil, for once evil gets locked in Tuula, it might as well cease to be. However these visitors from Piltover merely want to see the glory of Tuula Prison first hand. Surely you won't object to that?"

The man took a deep breath and resembled an inflating balloon for a moment. Vi snorted a laugh at the resemblance, but Rovar didn't hear her. The sigh was like watching air leak out. "I will permit a visit to Tuula Prison." He motioned to the scrawny man standing behind him. "My assistant, Lyner, will accompany you."

Vi rolled her eyes at the unwanted tag-along. Caitlyn could probably arm wrestle the guy, yet for some reason he had a reason to be sent along with them. As those at the table discussed details, Vi was formulating plots to get rid of him on the way when the hairs on the back of her neck rose as a chill went down her spine.

She had seen something. Out of the corner of her eye. It passed the window outside, but at an angle where nobody could see it. Nobody except her. Holding her breath, she leaned close to the door then, and placed her ear against it cautiously. Breathing.

 _An eavesdropper!_ Vi thought quickly, and her anger quickly turned into a rush of excitement. _I may not have my gauntlets, but you're paste._

She placed a hand on the knob, and silently turned it. Vi shook her head slowly, waving her fiery pink hair around. Caitlyn caught the movement and her gaze slid over to Vi. Vi winked, and with a finger traced an invisible path from her eye to her ear, then pointed at the door.

Caitlyn's eyes widened for a second, then she looked back to the meeting and rejoined it, adding more things to talk about whenever the conversation ran down.

Vi took a moment to steel herself for the pain, then yanked the door open with her left hand while delivering a solid punch in the jaw to the person on the other side with her right. Sure enough, the force of the punch sent shockwaves of pain through her body, and Vi gasped. The cloaked and masked figure spun with the impact, then after taking a moment to gather its bearings, it took off running.

Caitlyn bolted from her seat but Vi was already gone, chasing the eavesdropper down. The figure ran down the hall to the the balcony overlooking the inner plaza. Skipping the stairs, it jumped to the floor below. Landing cat-footed, it ran down another hall. Vi practically flew down the stairs, her powered suit giving her the strength in her legs needed to run fast enough to keep pace with him despite his shortcuts. _It is a he._ Vi thought as her muscles burned from adrenaline. She caught a glimpse of his masculine figure when he landed on the floor below. The cloak billowed out from him, and Vi could see the smooth chest clearly as he ran beneath her balcony.

The chase continued through some rooms, split up by paper dividers. Vi shoved aside every single one, using her enhanced strength to knock every one aside as she kept the billowing cloak in sight. She ran past some stunned onlookers and even leaped over one as he walked between the man and his pursuer, oblivious to what was going on.

The jump was a mistake, and Vi realized this as she was in the air. She attempted to land on the balls of her feet to make the shock as small as possible, but nothing could stop the icy spike of pain to stab through her back. Her jaw locked tight, refusing to let out a scream. She was going to catch him, no questions asked. She had lost time reeling in pain, and feared that she lost him.

 _Remember Vi, think two steps ahead of the criminals._ Caitlyn's words came back to her, so Vi quickly guessed that he was headed outside to deliver the information to an unknown party. Vi turned and ran to the right, thankful that she had at least paid attention to the layout of the building. This path would lead to a wall, but it led straight outside, and judging by where the man was headed, it was clear he was intending on taking the southern exit. She'd cut him off there.

Sure enough, after a few moments she arrived at the wall. A bash with her shoulder broke the wood and let her stumble outside into the chill night.

The moon was full, and it illuminated a dark figure coming out of the southern exit just as she predicted. She walked in front of him to block his path, cracking her knuckles, keenly aware that her hands were bare. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked in an amused voice that belied the pain she was feeling. "You forgot your knuckle sandwich!"

She swung out with a fist, then suddenly dropped to the floor and attempted a leg sweep. She was well-versed in street brawls, but was also well aware this person was likely trained in professional martial arts. She couldn't afford a long confrontation with her back feeling this way, so she was determined to end it quickly.

Unfortunately the man was quick. He leaped over Vi's leg sweep and landed behind her, he took off running, not bothering to launch an attack her way. Vi looked up in dismay as the man was getting away, with potentially damaging knowledge.

The man made it 5 paces before a lightning bolt dropped from the sky directly onto his head. Vi jumped in alarm, the thunder only making her shock worse. "What?" She said aloud, not fully believing what she saw. She looked up and confirmed her suspicions. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Rest." A calm voice said behind her, and she turned to see a man in dark ninja garb standing behind her, offering a hand to help her up. "We'll take it from here."

Vi took the hand, as she doubted she would be able to get up on her own at the moment. Once she got her footing she looked back at the man stumbling around in the darkness with smoke coming off of his clothing. "We?" She asked finally, picking up on the plural pronoun's use.

Another ninja, this one clad in green, leapt from a high building and landed in front of the man. A single punch straight to the face sent him to dreamland. The man fell backwards, and revealed that the green ninja was a woman. "Nice one." Vi said appreciatively, recognizing a good punch when she saw one.

A tiny ninja clad in purple dropped from another building, and landed next to the blue ninja. "Bullseye." The ninja said in a higher voice that made Vi think of a child. Sure enough, when she looked down she saw a young boy in purple ninja garb. She looked to the man in blue, the woman in green, and the child in purple, and understood. "Oh, I got saved by a ninja family. Neat I guess."

The woman in green flushed, and the blue ninja chuckled without mirth. "You misunderstand. Kennen is not our child." He nodded to the child. "There is no need to disguise yourself around her. She's a friend."

Vi was still trying to understand that last part before the child suddenly turned very furry. "Yikes!" Vi shouted, pointing to the now decidedly not human creature. "What is that?"

The ninja answered. "This is Kennen. He is a yordle. A mystical race of small furry creatures that are like us in all but looks and longevity."

Vi nodded slowly. "Oh, so... they're common in Ionia?"

"You could say that. Ionia is a very spiritual place, and yordles are spiritual beings. Needless to say their appearance causes some questions, so most yordles use their innate magic to disguise themselves. Kennen is in fact a full adult." He held up a hand to Vi's next question. "A yordle's disguise is not perfect however. A strong spiritual sense will allow you to see through them."

"I see." Vi suddenly felt very tired. Her adrenaline was starting to run out, and in its wake it left fatigue and leftover pain. She leaned against a wall, next to the hole she smashed to get out. "So he's Kennen. What about your names?"

"My name is Shen." The flippin' ninja answered. "The Eye of Twilight."

"Akali." The woman answered. "The Fist of Shadow."

"I'm the Heart of the Tempest." Kennen piped in.

"I'm Vi." Vi answered, amused by their extra titles. "I don't have a fancy title." She grew serious. "So who was that guy you fried?"

"An agent of the Cabal." Shen answered. "This organization has spread its tendrils of corruption throughout Ionia, and yet we're no closer to finding out anything about key members or where they are stationed then we were when we started our investigation."

"This guy was going to report our last meeting. I'm glad we stopped him, who knows what might have happened if they knew about our plans."

"What plans are those?" Akali asked.

Vi frowned. "Nice try, but it's on a need to know basis. Thanks for the help, but you don't need to know."

"Understandable." Shen replied. "In a gesture of good faith, I'll tell you why we're here. We are from the Kinkou Order, A-"

"Oh I know about them." Vi cut in. "I heard about them during my stay here. You guys are the enforcers of balance here, right?"

"That is correct."

Vi became solemn. "Sorry about the rest of your order. The elders told me that you're all that's left."

"They are correct." Shen said. "But enough about the past. Our current situation is dire. We just came from an investigation of Tuula prison, and a very dangerous criminal has escaped."

Vi's heart quickened in excitement. "Was it Jhin?"

Shen's eyes widened slightly, the only indication of his surprise. "Yes, how did you know?"

"I had a run-in with him in the city of Piltover, assisting one of our local crazies. My partner and I followed his trail here for answers. The elders told us that last they heard he was locked up in Tuula prison."

At that moment Caitlyn rushed in through the southern exit, armed and ready. "Where did they go?" She asked, coming to a stop when she saw the three ninja. "Oh, the Kinkou Order's here. Excellent. They can help us."

"Wait you know them?" Vi asked.

Caitlyn shook her head. "I only heard of them in the meetings we had. Pictures were also passed around. You'd have recognized them too if you were actually in the meetings." She looked down and saw Kennen. "The elders have also told me that you're actually a yordle."

Kennen sighed and dropped the disguise completely. "Why did we tell the elders Shen?"

"Because if we didn't, Karma would have seen through your disguise sooner or later and have reported your identity to the other elders anyway."

Vi turned to Caitlyn while the ninja were conversing. "Cait, they just came back from Tuula. Jhin's gone."

Caitlyn took in a sharp breath, muttered "I knew it", and spoke at regular volume. "Alright, we have the proper intel, we just have to inform the elders of this. They can decide where to take it from-"

"No." Shen interrupted. "We cannot allow the Elder of the Tuula region find out that we know about Jhin's disappearance. While we were there, the monks all held up the illusion of Jhin's incarceration, and nearly imprisoned me when I found out the truth. This is not a recent escape. Jhin could have been gone a long time ago, and the last few years could have all been a deception that the Tuula elder is likely a part of."

"Because the elders hold no secrets with each other," Akali put in, "we cannot reveal this to any of the elders, understand?"

Vi nodded, and Cait took a moment before nodding. "The Tuula Elder did insist we take his assistant with him to inspect Tuula prison." Caitlyn observed.

Akali and Shen looked at each other. "It is fortunate our paths have crossed." Akali said. "Now we must find Jhin."

"And Jinx." Vi put in, punching her palm. "When are we leaving?"

"You're in no condition to go anywhere." Caitlyn insisted. "Look at how hurt you are from a simple chase. Jinx is dangerous enough, and Jhin is currently an unknown. I can't allow you to come."

Vi growled. "You can't honestly expect me to sit here while you get to go off with ninja."

"I'm sorry but there is no other way. Besides, if we both leave without the elder's assistant, and if he's in on this, he'll be tipped off. I need you to stay here and tell them that I'm on a short visit to the famous spa in the Navori region, and that we'll be ready to go to the Tuula region when I return. We'll use hextech radios to stay in touch, but I need you to rest and recover. The sooner you get better the sooner you can help. Okay?"

Vi impotently clenched her fist, but she knew Caitlyn was right. "Fine. But don't have all the fun without me. I mean it."

"Right." Caitlyn said with a smile. "You know me, I wouldn't dream of having fun on a mission."

Vi couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, I forget I'm the reason missions are even fun. Take care of yourself, cupcake." With her final words, she spit on her palm and held it out to shake.

Caitlyn drew back. "How about no?" She said as she maneuvered around Vi's hand and gave her a quick hug. "Get well soon, my friend." She turned to Shen and said, "When are we leaving?"

While Shen went over details, Vi turned and walked back inside, formulating lies to tell to the elders.

* * *

Vi popped a handful of painkillers into her mouth and snuggled into bed. Or at least attempted to. Due to her suit doubling as a brace, she had to wear it in bed, and it was incredibly uncomfortable. _With any luck,_ Vi thought, _The painkillers will make me numb to this._

The elders were a little confused and a little disappointed when Vi told them that the eavesdropper had gotten away, and that Caitlyn had fumed so much over the botched chase that she left for a famous spa in Karma's hometown to cool off.

Navori was close enough to the Ionian capital that nobody thought of it as odd, especially because Ionians often traveled long distances for enlightenment or other spiritual needs.

Next to Vi's bed was a small table holding a bottle of painkillers from Piltover and a hextech radio tuned to Caitlyn's. Even though she resigned herself to be bedridden, Vi was determined to remain vigilant. She kept her bedroom door locked, and her gauntlets next to her bed in a hextech anti-grav case.

 _Good luck Cait._ Vi thought as the painkillers started to take over and push her into sleep. _Save some Jinx for me._


	9. Act II:Chapter III

**Author's note: Hey guys, I'm not dead! I've just been burned out on writing in general for a bit, but doing my best to get through this. It's pretty clear to me at this point I can't just wait for the funk to end, I gotta take action. So expect a more regular publishing schedule, as I get off my butt and write.**

The Ionian marketplace was busier than usual. Jhin was inspecting the produce of a fruit stand, unassuming and unremarkable. He was not the Virtuoso, he was not the artist of perfection. He was merely Khada, just another face in the crowd.

His plan was simple that day; get in and out of the marketplace with the items he needed without drawing attention. He never spoke to anyone longer than necessary, never struck up friendships, never did anything to make anybody remember him.

If people started remembering him, they may try to be friendly. If people tried being friendly, it would be rather difficult to get them to leave him alone without seeming like a eccentric recluse, which would only draw more attention. He didn't want people following him to his house, even if it was to visit. He kept his home presentable for his sake, not theirs.

"Hey can we get this too?" A voice pierced his thoughts. He looked to his right and saw Jinx cradling some fireworks. Likely she took them from the adjacent stand. She had begged to come with him to the market place after he announced his departure, and while Jhin was hesitant at first, he consented on the condition that she stayed near him at all times. So far that rule wasn't broken, and Jhin wondered if he would have gotten away with making an additional rule to keep Jinx from drawing attention.

He shook his head. "That wasn't in the budget." He pulled out a shopping list and held it up. "I am committed to spending no more than forty gold pieces today. The fireworks alone costs twenty."

Jinx pouted. "Nobody said we had to pay for it." She insisted.

At the look from the owner of the fruit stand, Jhin quickly fished in his bag for twenty gold pieces. Tossing the coins at the fireworks stand he turned back to the man and said, "You'll have to forgive my..." He looked at Jinx for a little bit. "Cousin. She is currently in a Spirit Journey. I apologize for any misunderstanding." With a sheepish grin he tossed some coins at the owner and selected some ripe dragon fruit. Turning away from the man he grabbed Jinx by the arm and steered her into the bustling foot traffic, his mask of embarrassment falling. "Please be mindful of your words next time." Jhin said quietly as they walked. "That excuse will only work for so long."

A Spirit Journey was a traditional Ionian ritual that involved an individual finding themselves via changing their appearance to resemble one of the many mythical creatures in Ionian lore. The Journey ended when the person's spiritual alignment and personality matched that of the creature chosen. The creature Jhin had chosen was the Kirumo, a mischievous being with pale skin and blushed cheeks like that of a jester. At Jhin's insistence, Jinx wore a plain skirt that went down to her knees and soft traveler's boots. With a simple application of blush to Jinx's cheeks, her transformation into an Ionian wanting to be more mischievous was complete. He declined to answer Jinx's question as to why he had makeup at his house.

"Why are we going through all this?" Jinx asked. "Why not just take what we want and blow up the rest?"

"Because the point is to blend in." Jhin answered. "After we restock the pantry we can get started with our day." He pulled out another sheet of paper; this one was an itinerary. At Jinx's frown he added, "We will do what you want tomorrow, I promise. But today I have a job to do, and I can delay it no longer."

"Is it about that windman you told me about?" Jinx asked.

"Indeed. He must become art today. No later." He tossed her one of the fruit. "That is breakfast. We will be following a tip I received from the Cabal. He is at a tavern in Harcle City. It is not far from here."

"Will I have anything to do when we get there?" Jinx asked, boredom already starting to make her attention slide. "Cuz Fishbones and I are itching to blow something up."

"You 'blew up' an entire harbor upon your arrival." Jhin noted.

"Aww, that was ages ago! You can't count that!" Jinx insisted. "Do you see me say, 'hey, you shot four guys already, you can't shoot anyone else ever'- HEY GUY!" Her voice suddenly raised to an excitable squeal, making Jhin jump.

Jhin recovered for a second, then twisted to find the source of Jinx's excitement. The man was average height, average build, in full armor that was a dull metallic grey with dark accents, with a flowing blue cloak. The entire suit of armor was a product of unknown design, but there was nothing about the man that stood out, but Jhin found his helmet rather intriguing. It was... fascinating in its plainness, a work of art in its mediocrity. The man's features were hidden in the shadows that were cast by his helmet.

"BRO!" Jinx called out, and this time the man looked up in their direction. "YEAH YOU!"

By this time every one was looking at the man, who blanched under the unwanted attention. Turning on his heels, the man turned and started to run. Unfortunately the sudden 180 degree turn made him trip over his cloak, sending him into a stand filled to the brim with melons. The wooden structure of the stand buckled and collapsed under the man's weight and spilled its contents all over the ground. The man stood back up dazed, with a melon replacing his helmet. Half walking and half stumbling, the man tried to walk away like nothing happened. However his new melon helmet lacked eye holes, and the man's strive towards the sanctuary of the nearby woods sent him spilling over the edge of a local well, screaming as he fell.

Jinx shook her head in amazement. "Wow. He's sad."

"He'll be fine." Jhin assured. His statement was punctuated by a dull thud. "That well dried up years ago. His armor will protect him from the worst of it." He turned to Jinx. "How do you know him?"

Jinx looked at him with confusion. "I don't know him. I just wanted to say 'hi.'"

Jhin raised an eyebrow. "That's how you say 'hi' to strangers? Then why didn't you greet me that way?"

"Because you said 'hi' to me first." Jinx replied as if it was obvious.

Jhin had no answer for that. As they left the marketplace and started on a well-worn trail towards Harcle City he added, "However I think we can skip the step where we fill up the pantry and head straight on our way." He took out his itinerary and crossed off an item. "Thanks to our little splurge, we only had enough for breakfast."

"Aren't you like filthy rich thanks to your boss?" Jinx asked. "I mean, I don't think they gave you your weapons and stuff."

"You don't remain rich by pointlessly spending money." Jhin replied. He put the to-do list away and took out another sheet of paper from his pocket. "However our little fireworks purchase may prove useful in my plan. Let me see the fireworks I got for you so I can know how much we have to work with." At her lack of an answer, he turned and looked at Jinx, to notice her sheepish grin and her empty hands.

"Um... Funny thing about the fireworks..." Jinx began. As if on cue, a raging fireball rose towards the sky behind them. A resounding BOOM accompanied it. At Jhin's exasperation she quickly added, "I was bored!"

"Where did you even find the time to set that up?" Jhin asked, his hand sliding over his face, "I was talking to you the entire time."

"Not the entire time." Jinx said, her eyes twinkling with untold secrets.

Jhin didn't bother pressing the question and simply sighed. His frustration didn't stem from the market itself, as he had no attachment to it or the people there. He was more concerned that, thanks to Jinx, he had to permanently alter his schedule to accommodate travel to a further market from his home. As if he didn't have enough to do. He took a sharp turn into the forest and fished a travel case from some bushes. "I stashed my equipment here so that we wouldn't have to stop by the house. We're good to go now."

"Does this mean I don't have to wear this anymore?" Jinx asked from behind him. "I feel like a prissy noble."

"Well," Jhin considered as he started to slip on his costume, "considering I only insisted you wear that to keep us from drawing attention at the marketplace, I suppose-"

"Already off!" Jinx said from behind him, and to emphasize her point the crumpled top flew into the bushes near Jhin's case.

Jhin froze upon seeing the discarded clothing. _Did she really just..._ The thought didn't have a chance to finish because the sound of reloading made him twist around in surprise.

Jinx stood in her usual clothing, brandishing Fishbones. "Ready to go?" She asked.

Jhin stared, half-dressed. "Where did you-"

"Beneath that dress." Jinx said offhandedly. "You'd be surprised how much you can hide beneath that thing."

Jhin turned back around and struggled with the temptation to ask exactly how Jinx accomplished that, but he wasn't meant to understand the agent of Chaos. _There are some things about her I'll never understand, just as she'll never understand some things about me. It is the inevitable result of our partnership._ He finished dressing by placing his mask over his face. The world was confined once more to a single eye hole. The world once again made sense. "Let's get started." He said, gesturing towards the road. "It is a long trip and it's best we don't waste a single hour of daylight."

The road was beautiful, as were many roads in Ionia. The trail often cut through wonderful forests teeming with life, sparkling creeks filled to the brim with crystal clear water, and flowers were in bloom. Jhin never noticed any of it as they set out. He never had a moment to appreciate the natural beauty, as Jinx immediately proceeded to bombard him with questions.

"Hey Jhin, Why do you like the number four?"

"Did you always like four?"

"Did you know you only have three weapons?"

"You want Zap? He's kinda the adopted brother that none of my other guns like."

"Is Jhin a name your parents gave you?"

Jhin did not even attempt to answer her questions. Partly because Jinx never stopped long enough for him to slip a word in, and partly because he didn't want to encourage conversation. He usually used his travel time to formulate a plan to create a masterpiece. After about thirty minutes of constant questions that somehow never repeated, Jhin learned to drown out her voice as he did to all background noise when he was seconds away from crafting perfection. However one question managed to pierce the fog of his inattention, and it caught him off guard.

"Hey Jhin, did you lock the door?"

Jhin began to confirm that he did, but he faltered. _Did I?_ He tried his best but couldn't remember the details of his morning. It was only natural; as Jhin followed a very defined routine in the morning, he did it without thinking of it. So why would today be any different? He started to speak again, but stopped once again. It had not been his routine morning. Jinx was present to wake him up to the inferno she caused outside. Jinx was present during Jhin's frantic efforts to extinguish the flame. Jinx was also present during Jhin's departure to go to the marketplace. She had thrown off his routine to the point where he had no idea if he actually locked the door to his own house.

"Yes." He muttered, hoping that he was right.

"Oh well that's a relief." Jinx replied, "I left some of my chompers in there. Don't want one of those scamps getting out!"

As Jinx's conversation started to extend to her weapons, Jhin was plagued by doubts involving his door for the rest of the trip.

They arrived at Harcle city in the afternoon, shortly before it was time for dinner. They arrived at the city's east side, on the top of a hill overlooking the city. They were out of sight on arrival and would continue to be as long as they didn't stand up on the hill and give themselves away. By this time Jinx had switched from talking to humming, and Jhin was starting to get fed up. "Do you think it is possible for your voice to give out?" Jhin asked in as polite a tone as possible.

"Don't know." Jinx shrugged. "Never happened before. One time I screamed in the Piltover Bell Tower for like a day till Hat Lady told me to shut up."

Jhin stopped and stared at her. "And why were you screaming?"

"Well... You know how screaming can break glass?"

"It requires a high pitch and a loud volume to-"

"I was trying to train my voice to get high enough to shatter glass. That way when I'm shooting up stuff I can also scream and break more stuff." She smiled. "Pretty smart huh? It's multitasking."

"Hat Lady?" Jhin asked, hoping to change the subject. "Can you tell me more about her?" He pulled the scope from Whisper's sniper attachment and lay flat on his stomach on the top of the hill. Using it, he scanned the buildings and streets as well as he could for Yasuo. According to the tip he received from his contacts, Yasuo was in one of the buildings sitting on the edge of the city.

"Hat Lady's the boss of Fat Hands. They're both cops that just loooove to ruin my fun." She grinned as she laid next to him in the soft grass, but on her back facing the sky. "But they never caught me. They had..." She trailed off as she counted some numbers on her fingers. "Seventy chances to catch me, and every time they failed. In fact you were there the last time they tried, or at least Vi."

"Vi..." Jhin repeated as he set his sights on a tavern. "Is she the young woman with the pink hair and giant gauntlets? The one I blew out of a window?"

Jinx nodded. "Yep. Hat Lady's real name is Caitlyn. I bet they're tearing their hair out right now trying to find me now. They might be tearing Zaun to the slime-covered brick." She frowned slightly. "It isn't fair, you know? How Pilties think they can do whatever they want on our turf yet we can't even step in their stupid streets. Piltover would look better if it resembled Zaun, in my opinion."

Jhin lowered his telescope and looked at Jinx. "Was that the catalyst for your destructive passion? The injustice your people faced under Piltover? It made you decide to do something about it?" This was an interesting side of Jinx, Jhin noted. Behind her seemingly scatterbrained personality, there was something beneath it all. He doubted anyone has ever been around Jinx long enough for her to exhaust all of her energy, enough for her conversation to become more revealing, personal. The young woman he was finding beneath intrigued him.

"I don't know." Jinx answered. "I may have had a reason once. But I can't remember." She turned her head to face him. "When I destroy things, I feel like I'm... whole. Do you-" She broke off with a sigh of exasperation. "What do you think Fishbones?" She lifted her rocket launcher and puppeted its response.

"Well, I think you're finally realizing that wanton destruction isn't as fulfilling as creating. Maybe you should try to do something else?"

Jinx frowned. "Well, you're no help." She tossed Fishbones away, and it bounced halfway down the hill before rolling to a stop next to the rest of Jhin's equipment. "What do you think Jhin?"

Jhin only had one answer. A simple one, but it was all he knew. "We are artists Jinx, our performances sustains, fulfills, and completes us." He looked back to the city. "You are merely overwhelmed because all of the destruction you caused, all of the sweet chaos you unleashed on your canvas, is gone here. You are merely down because you see the vastness of this world, and on some level you think all that you've done is meaningless. At Piltover you could go to bed satisfied that all you've done will be a permanent scar on the city. But here, in this vast world, stagnation and imperfection will always outpace art."

Jinx's eyes widened as she looked at Jhin. "Dude, it's not that serious-"

"But we must press on! Our art must be shown to this barren world. Our dance must be thrown up to the stage of this reality! Do not think of creation as erasing your work. Think of it as giving you a new canvas to work with. We are artists. We alone have risen above the filth and muck. We will show all others the error of their ways."

"Okay..." Jinx said slowly. "I'm just tired, jeez. And I was just saying that Piltover should look like Zaun because I like Zaun's look more than Piltover's. Why do you overthink things?"

Jhin turned back to the city with a telescope to hide his embarrassment, as if his mask wasn't sufficient. He tried to change the subject. "So then... what were you humming earlier?" His view snapped to a lone figure trying to approach the tavern without being obvious. His collar was pulled up around his face, but Jhin knew who he was. The ornately designed scabbard was a dead giveaway. _There you are._ Jhin thought.

"Just replaying my memories." Jinx explained. "Usually I can remember them to music. I just hum because I don't know the words."

"I found him." Jhin said, ignoring her.

Jinx rolled around and peered down into the city. "Where?"

"That tavern." Jhin said, pointing down to the building. "Right next to it is a festival center. I need you there to conduct your part of the plan."

"Plan?" Jinx wrinkled her nose.

Before she could protest Jhin pulled out paper and a elaborate pen. He hastily drew the tavern and the festive building to its right. "Alright, I will stay here and wait for Yasuo to leave the building. As soon as he steps into the light, his performance begins. But your performance starts much sooner." He pointed to the festival center. "I need you to go in there and create as much havoc as possible. The goal is to make a large enough disturbance to cause Yasuo believe that his pursuers are approaching. If my information on him is correct, he will immediately leave the tavern. I will give you a signal once you're in position to start, and once I give it to you, you have four seconds to prepare before unleashing pandemonium."

Jinx was resting her chin on her hand, waiting for him to finish. "Anything else?" She asked irritably.

"I will be unable to see the chaos starting inside, so I will need you to fire a shot outside one of the windows to signal that you're about to ramp it up. I will then fire a shot through your window to confirm my understanding of your message. After you receive that shot, you will then fire into the wall to the south, hitting the tavern and driving Yasuo out. I will then turn his heart into the finest art. Do you have any questions?"

Jinx's eyes were starting to glaze over. "No, I got it."

"Are you sure?" Jhin asked as he began to set up his sniper. "We only have one shot at this, and if we make a mistake-"

"Yeah yeah, I got it." Jinx confirmed as she headed down the hill to grab Fishbones. "Shot a lot. Got it." She knelt down to grab Fishbones, "Wanna join me?" She clutched the precious weapon and turned to head down the hill towards the festival center. "Of course you do, sorry about the throw, but now it's time to come and play."

Jhin sighed. "Just start shooting after four minutes pass. Shoot again after four seconds, then when I shoot back, shoot at least four shots into the tavern. Then you can shoot for four more seconds before getting out."

Jinx was already walking away. "Yeah! Got it!"

Jhin took a deep breath as he went through the familiar motions of transforming Whisper into a sniper. _This is our first performance together._

Jhin thought as he silently counted down the minutes. "Time to see how well we work together." He whispered. "The curtain comes up."

Jinx walked into the Fara Festival Center. As its name suggested, it was the location where many festivals were held, from as important as the Welcoming of Spring to as common as weddings. The entrance took her into the large ballroom that took up most of the bottom floor; the ballroom was a dazzling place that looked like it was covered with gold. There was a fairly large crowd there, and what exactly they were celebrating was completely lost on Jinx. All she knew was that she drew attention from the moment she entered.

Jinx looked down at her clothing and obvious weaponry, and realized that they probably noticed it too. Either that or they were staring at the dirt she tracked in. "Hey!" She said in a voice entirely too loud for the quiet that fell across the room. "I'm uh, taking my spirit journey or something!" _Crap, what did Jhin call it?_ She thought as someone edged towards the exit. "Screw it." She said with a sigh, and swung Pow-Pow towards the buffet table. From there a familiar rush of excitement flowed through her veins, and Jinx promptly went wild.

Chaos reigned.

It was two minutes in when the first shot flew out of the window, shattering it completely. Jhin scrambled to Whisper and answered with a firing shot, wondering why Jinx was rushing things. Promptly fifteen more shots flew out of different windows, and Jhin was completely lost. "We never agreed to a meaning for that." He muttered with a note of panic. "What is she doing? Is she firing at the tavern now or later?" If Jinx took too long, Yasuo could leave the tavern from the front or the back. Shots fired into the side from Jinx's location should herd him out the proper direction, but now Jhin wasn't sure when or if Jinx would fire that way.

All Jhin could do is aim at the entrance to the tavern and wait. His hands were shaking, as his plan seemed to fall apart.

Bullets flew everywhere. Pow-pow was doing a wonderful job of saying it without spraying it, and while Fishbones wanted his turn Jinx wasn't inclined to swap. The gun had it coming for trying to be a therapist.

A statue blew into pieces, it made the mistake of protecting the wall behind it. People ran and screamed everywhere, but Jinx couldn't hear it over her own laughing.

 _Come one, shoot faster!_ Jinx urged Pow-Pow as she started to run around and pepper the staircase with fire. It looked like it was made of cheese afterwards. _I should get some after this._ She thought absently as a pipe of water burst inside one of the walls. A fiery grin spread across Jinx's face.

 _Just a little bit of energy..._ She pulled out Zap and fired into the small waterfall. The lightning danced up the pipe and the wall it was attached to burst into flames. To Jinx's eyes, the flames were dancing along with the sounds of devastation.

By this time the ballroom was mostly deserted, but Jinx was more interested in the exciting little pops the glasses of punch made when shot.

 _I wanna try something fun right now_! Jinx's thoughts grew more and more frantic as she ran up the staircase, deftly navigating the obstacle course of her own design. "YES!" She shouted in triumph as she got to the top. "Jinx 7653 points! Building Vi's IQ points!" From her height she saw the chandelier swinging from the beautiful sounds of fire and explosions. Without a thought, she jumped to the chandelier and started swinging from it. Laughing in manic glee, she pulled out Fishbones and started firing in every direction. The chandelier fell from the ceiling with a ear shattering CRASH as it fell to the floor. Jinx rolled and came up to her feet deftly, and her wild eyes spotted a wall.

 _Let's blow this city to ashes!_ The thought crossed her mind and she immediately put it into action. She grabbed the table cloth from the ruins of the buffet table and pulled out Fishbones one more time.

Yasuo downed his fourth sake and slumped in his seat, the wood creaking slightly. Why did everything have to go wrong in his life? First the elder, then his brother, and now he was being hunted for a crime he did not commit. The only silver lining was the Shuriman girl Taliyah, but he sent her away for good reason. That girl still had a sense of innocence, and whether it was from sentiment or misplaced affection he didn't want to be the one to introduce her to the harshness of reality. _Enough about the past._ He thought dizzily. _I need to find my elder's killer and clear my name._ He scanned the crowd through a haze of drunkenness, looking for someone who seemed like they would be a killer on the run.

Like all the other times, he had no luck. Though a woman on the far end of the bar caught his attention for a brief moment. White-haired and small in frame, she had her back to him, yet he could vaguely tell she had the stance of a warrior. A Noxian to be precise. His eyes narrowed, knowing that Noxians were usually up to no good this far from their nation. His eyes fell to her weapon, and with a snort of derision he dismissed her. _What kind of fool walks around a place like this with a broken sword?_ He thought as he returned to nursing his fifth sake.

He was in such a stupor that he didn't notice the emerald sword inches from his throat until he looked up to its owner. He had no idea who it was, but judging by the man's garb and blade, he was surely a Wuju Bladesman.

"Murderer." The man said, his voice tinged with scorn. "You are coming with me to face judgement."

Yasuo looked hard at the man, already coming up with ways to swiftly kill him when the white-haired woman got up and left the tavern. It was likely she didn't like to be caught in the middle of a confrontation. _I don't blame her._ His thoughts still had to swim through the sake to get to the rest of his brain, and as a result were slow. _I wouldn't want to be caught in a fight without a weapon either._

He slowly reached for his sword, and then his world exploded into fiery chaos.

Jhin looked on, his eyes wide in shock as the tavern exploded. That wasn't part of the plan. His dream and vision of the masterpiece was ruined. He frowned decided to make a better effort to inform Jinx of the necessity of his plans. Shortly after he saw Jinx skipping out of the festival center as it collapsed on itself and exploded.

He stood up from the hill and motioned Jinx towards the forest where they could talk.

"Why didn't you follow my instructions?" Jhin asked in a pained voice when they were secluded in the forest.

Jinx only gave him a look.

"Okay, that is a stupid question." Jhin admitted. "But I wanted this to be a day that we did things my way. I was planning tomorrow that we did what you wanted. It was to maintain a balance between our styles."

Jinx frowned. "But that's boring! What kind of 'balancing act' requires taking turns?"

Of course. "You're right." Jhin acquiesced. "Our art cannot be united if I insist we keep them separate through the days. We must sprinkle our art into each others performances."

Jinx raised an eyebrow. "Hey Jhin are you overthinking things ag-"

"I must sprinkle order into your chaos, and you must instill chaos through my order. Together we will create a new act that we are both proficient at!"

"Okaaay, I guess you are." Jinx said as Jhin continued to speak. She grabbed Fishbones and walked off. Her memories of the awesome time she had played through her mind, and she added mental music. Her eyes widened in epiphany. She liked the sound of these memories, in fact this could be added to her list of things to hum.

Jhin snapped out of his speech when he realized Jinx was almost completely gone, and hurried to catch up. "We might as well head back home, but I need to make a quick detour. I had another dream last night of my next masterpiece, and I must see this through."

"So you get inspiration from your dreams or whatever?" Jinx asked as they found the road to take to Jhin's home.

"Yes. It is my destiny calling to me through my dreams, my spectral playwright as it were."

"Uh-huh." She stopped. "Wait, you said we were heading back to your house?"

"Yes, what of it?" Jhin asked calmly.

Jinx bit her lower lip in apprehension. "Um... well you see..."

Jhin's heart fell into his stomach. "What did you do Jinx?"

"Um, remember what I said about locking your door so the chompers can't get out?"

"Yes..."

Jinx looked at the sun and did some quick calculations. "We better run." She shot down the road, her braids flapping like banners in the wind.

Jhin forced his heart back to where it belonged and broke into a headlong run to catch up, hoping that he wasn't too late.

* * *

Yasuo pulled himself to his feet, shaking slightly with ringing in his ears and a very strong desire to vomit. He looked around and saw the complete devastation of the tavern. He checked himself, and noted that no bones were broken. He sighed in relief as the wind wall faded. His reflexes, honed to such a point that they reacted as quick as lightning, even in a drunken stupor, and saved his life. He could tell which direction the explosion originated, and marveled that he threw the wall the wrong way and yet was still spared. _I suppose the drinks threw off my sense of direction._ He mused as he picked through the wreckage and went on his way before the authorities showed up.

He looked down and saw the Wuju Bladesman's boot sticking out of a pile of light rubble. He quickened his pace when the pile started to stir, and was out of sight and dashing towards the forest by the time the bladesman freed himself completely.

 **Post thoughts: So, I wanted to add this section because I want to connect with you guys, trying something new in hopes it helps to motivate me to write more often, as well as getting to know all of you better.  
**

 **What is your favorite region in League of Legends?**


	10. Act II:Chapter IV

Caitlyn was silent as the train rocked on the tracks as it sped along. The Ionian Railroad was little more than a long stretch of track going from one side of Ionia to the other, with some rails branching off to service several processes. And the "services" were limited to traveling government officials who couldn't afford to travel by traditional means. Donated by Piltover in an effort to help "modernize" the nation, Caitlyn couldn't help but feel now that this small effort was more patronizing than helpful.

She was in the caboose, her hat on a rack next to the door. Her eyes often wandered to the moon outside, and her teeth worried the end of a pencil as she racked her mind for what they knew about the people behind Jhin's escape from Tuula Prison. Currently nothing added up and her frustration was growing. Based on what the ninja told her, her first instinct was to suspect the elder who governed Tuula, Elder Rovar.

 _Didn't he assign one of his attendants to watch Vi and myself while we investigated?_ Caitlyn thought, her pencil twirling in her fingers. _We would be investigating with a third wheel hovering over us at every moment. Then again, he could be innocent but used as a cover. His servants may be a part of the organization and use his flawless record to hide behind._

She decided then that she wasn't going to make any progress like this, and got up from her chair. Her boots made no sound on the lush carpeting and clicked once hardwood flooring met them. She crossed several empty cars and stopped when she found the three ninja in the passenger car right behind the engine. "How much longer do you think this will take?" She asked as she sat down next to Shen.

The flippin' ninja replied, "At least two more days. We will arrive at Tuula where you can look for clues to Jhin's whereabouts."

Akali was stretched out on the seats, her shoes were next to her makeshift bed as she prepared for sleep. She had taken some blankets and wrapped herself so tightly the effect reminded Caitlyn of a sleeping bag. She was currently laying on her side, propped up on her elbow. "You might as well get some sleep." Akali suggested. "This journey will take a while, and it's best to keep the body rested and alert."

Caitlyn shook her head. "I'm sorry but I can't sleep until I find Jinx and bring her back to Piltover in handcuffs. When we find Jinx we will find Jhin. I am fairly certain they are working together."

Kennen was fast asleep; his only response was a snort as he rolled over. The flippin' ninja answered, "Jhin is a very deliberate person. He likes to meticulously plan every single one of his kills. He is a stage performer at heart however, so I do not think it is impossible for him to get an accomplice, especially if he sees her as a stage hand. Can you describe her personality?"

Caitlyn sat back and thought for a moment. "Jinx is, as best as I can describe, a loose cannon. Whatever comes to mind she will do it. Unfortunately most of what comes to her mind to do is wanton destruction of property. I wouldn't say she is maliciously trying to kill people, but whether a building is occupied or not never crosses her mind. She will destroy it regardless."

Akali thought briefly before responding. "Then I can't tell you why Jhin would team up with her, even for a moment. She sounds like the complete opposite of what Jhin would want in a partner."

Shen nodded. "Jhin would likely go mad at Jinx's chaotic methods, and would likely part company with her, if not kill her himself." He stroked his chin, still hidden beneath his mask. "Do we have any evidence that they are even working together aside from that brief incident in your hometown?"

Caitlyn shook her head. "All we know is that Jinx must have survived the encounter, because the following day she continued her rampage through Piltover. Then she just disappears later, and we cannot fathom where she went."

"She could have retreated to Zaun to hide out." Akali offered. "Zaun is filled with hiding places and thick smoke, it isn't hard to hide there."

Caitlyn's eyebrow raised. "And how exactly would you know that?"

"We travel." Was all Akali said.

"Well," Caitlyn decided to get back to the subject at hand instead of pressing further. "For one thing running to hide isn't Jinx's style. At least for long. It has been over a week since her last attack in Piltover, and my men there have not reported a single incident of hers since. If she was hiding back there she would have struck by now out of sheer boredom." A thought crossed her mind. "Perhaps I should check in again." She took her hextech radio handset and activated it before putting it to her lips. "Vi, do you copy?"

A pause, then Vi's voice. "Yeah?"

"How are things in Piltover? The radios there are stronger than what I have on hand, have there been any signs of Jinx being there?"

Another pause. "Glad to hear the spa is going well." Vi said a little too casually.

Caitlyn knew instantly that Vi was currently being watched, or at least had a guest in the room with her. "How is the food up there? Do they have running water?" Caitlyn asked in code.

Another pause. "I'm doing just fine cupcake, thanks for asking. How are the baths there? I've heard they can get pretty hot."

 _She's in hot water._ Caitlyn's blood chilled a fraction. "Fine, how are things back home?" She asked in a rushed whisper, though she doubted anyone else but Vi could hear what she said.

"Jayce got another Hero of the Month award, I guess that's bad news." Was all Vi said.

 _So she is being watched._ Caitlyn thought. "Is Karma there? I would like to ask her if I can get a discount on the services there."

"Karma isn't here. Just Elder Rovar's assistant who by the way is gracious enough to take care of me until I get better." The last words were ground out through clenched teeth, and Caitlyn couldn't help but smile slightly at Vi's failed attempts to hide her anger.

"Alright, just checking in. I should be back soon."

"Nah Cait, you might as well move over there. At least the people that tend to _you_ don't look like they fell out of a moving cart." With that Vi cut the connection.

"How are things?" Shen asked.

"It's Vi. She's being watched right now by Elder Rovar's assistant."

Akali nodded. "Explains why you spoke in code. The assistant of one of the Elders cannot know why we are really here. Good thinking."

"Vi is your deputy?" Shen asked.

Caitlyn blinked at the abrupt change in topic. "Yes, I picked her up a couple of years ago. She was once a criminal, but I convinced her to join the police force."

"Good friend of yours?"

"Very. She has saved my life more times than I can properly count." Caitlyn said with a small chuckle. "The funny thing is, despite her having an armored suit that comes with giant fists, I feel responsible for her a lot of the time."

"It is a common feeling." Shen said, leaning back in a stretch. "You redeemed her from a life of crime, and so you feel responsible if anything happens to her on the path you set her on."

"I... suppose." Caitlyn said, not expecting Shen to understand so quickly. "You are quite insightful."

Shen nodded humbly. "My duty is to balance the spirit and living realm, I know quite a bit about emotions and other things hidden beneath the surface of a heart."

"It is a good skill. I wish I was that insightful."

"All things come with practice." Shen leaned to gaze to the moon through the window. "I should retire now, and so should you."

Caitlyn quickly got to her feet. "Oh, if you want to change I should leave."

Shen raised a hand. "No need." With that Shen lay down on the hard floor, with his head resting on his sword scabbards wrapped in cloth. Akali had already pulled the blanket over her head so only some of her hair was visible.

"Wait, you sleep in your uniform?" Caitlyn was genuinely confused. "Did you forget to pack something?"

"I didn't forget." The flippin' ninja said as he gazed up at the ceiling. "Our clothing is quite comfortable to sleep in. When people insult us by calling us warriors in pajamas, they weren't completely wrong." His head turned to Caitlyn. "Would you turn off the light when you leave?"

"Of course." Caitlyn switched off the light and left the room. The very next car had several beds. Caitlyn wanted to turn around and let the ninja know, but part of her knew that they were well aware the beds were there. She didn't even try to understand the ninjas' strange choice in sleeping locations. By the time she got to her quarters in the back of the train fatigue was starting to set in. Her timepiece alarmed her with how late it was, so she quickly went to change into bedclothes. As she pulled off her boots and uniform and slipped into a nightgown, the mystery of whether Jinx and Jhin were really working together continued to churn in her mind.

The wooden floor was uncomfortably cold, but fortunately carpeting surrounded her bed. For what wasn't the first time she wished trains had running water for baths, or even showers. There were some experimental trains in Piltover with the technology, but of course Ionia's second-hand train lacked this technology. _Second-hand_. Caitlyn thought with a twinge of guilt. _Is it really a gift if it's second-hand? One worthy of putting Piltover's name on it?_

Caitlyn sighed as she pulled the blankets over herself. _I can forget my worries for one night. I can't help anybody if I'm too tired to move._ With this reasonable line of thought, her mind had no qualms about letting sleep take over.

Caitlyn woke groggily and forgot where she was for a moment. The sounds of the rails beneath quickly reminded her. She dragged herself out of bed and headed to the window to open it. She was surprised to see that it was still nighttime. The moon had made significant progress on its journey across the sky, but it was still clearly visible. Sighing, she knew that attempting to sleep again would be fruitless. _I might as well grab a drink of water and try to figure out our next moves after visiting the prison_.

The moonlight was not sufficient light, as Caitlyn stubbed her toe on the dresser in an effort to turn on the lights. Biting back a curse she ignored the light and walked to the washroom to splash water on her face. The cold water quickly washed away the last vestiges of sleepiness that weighed her eyelids, and she went back into her room but past her bed. She went all the way to the end of the car and opened the door, walking into the balcony at the back of the caboose.

The sound of the rails was significantly louder now, and Caitlyn could see them flying away towards the horizon. She walked to the side of the balcony and leaned to see where they were going, in an effort to gauge the rest of their journey. She couldn't see far as there was a forest just ahead. She quickly went back inside before they reached the forest, as she didn't feel like spoiling her nightgown.

She went back to her window and watched the trees pass by. It was a soothing sight, as nature in Ionia seemed the most pure and perfect out of any landscapes in Runeterra. She heard scratching sounds on the roof, and recognized them as low branches from the closer trees they passed. The scratching stopped as soon as the train broke the treeline, and rolling plains could be seen once again, punctuated by a large lake in the center. Caitlyn wasn't keen on starting her investigations just yet with the view being this beautiful, so she spent some time looking at the lake move slowly past her.

The faint scratching noise started up again, briefly but Caitlyn picked up on it. She stiffened with tension, knowing that nothing could be making that kind of sound with no trees around unless somebody, or something, was on the train. Sparing barely enough time to throw on a bathrobe, Caitlyn ran across several cars to reach the ninja to warn them. Images rushed through her mind, as she expected ninja from the mysterious shadow order that recently set its roots in Ionia or simple bandits. Whoever was after them, she was certain that three ninja could handle it.

The three ninja were fast asleep; Caitlyn reached for Shen first to shake him awake.

"I am awake." Shen replied before Caitlyn touched him.

Caitlyn jerked back in shock. "What? When did you wake up?"

"I am a ninja." Is all Shen said in reply. He sat up and pulled his sword scabbards from the ground and strapped them to his back. "We need to move. Someone is here."

"I agree." Akali said, already on the side of her makeshift bed pulling her shoes on.

Caitlyn was startled by her sudden voice as well. "You were all awake this whole time?"

"Nah, we're just ninja." Kennen piped in, already up and fully clothed.

Caitlyn blinked in surprise but snapped out of it when she heard the sounds of scratching footsteps on top of the train. The three ninja tensed when they heard it, and moved slowly to the front of the train car to get outside the train. "You may want to get dressed." Shen said as they left, noting Caitlyn's bathrobe.

Caitlyn flushed with self-consciousness as she moved to her room to change. As she entered her room to change, the footsteps moved her to throw on her clothes as fast as possible.

Running to the balcony, she grabbed her rifle and hastily clipped some traps to her belt on her way there. Throwing open the door with a loud bang she ran to the ladder next to the door and climbed onto the roof of the train. She was glad she decided against putting her hat on, as the wind was fierce outside the train. A quick glance over the top revealed two very important pieces of information.

One, they were going to be traveling through open plains for quite a while.

Two, there were two interlopers.

Both were wearing heavy cloaks with capes. They were both shrouded in shadow as the moon was covered with clouds. They turned when Caitlyn pulled herself onto the roof completely, and she saw only their eyes with any hint of clarity.

One of them had amber eyes, the other had eyes of a sparkling blue. Both pairs were glowing vividly.

Caitlyn immediately raised her rifle, clicking off the safety. "Freeze!" She commanded. "Who are you?"

The clouds continued on their way, and the two were revealed under the silver light of the moon.

"Oh hey!" The taller one said in an voice that Caitlyn could only describe as excitable. "It's a human!" Caitlyn raised her eyebrow at the remark, but soon saw why he made a point that she was human. He was a chimera of sorts, Caitlyn guessed a mix of human and bird, and she saw the "cloak" was actually a wing made of golden feathers. "Hey Xayah!" He said, elbowing his companion. "It's a human! What's she doing up here? Ain't it dangerous up here without grip or wings?"

"Don't call me Xayah in front of her!" The shorter bird-person said with a very obvious note of irritation. Clearly female, this one sported purple feathers and a hood to accent her cloak, or wing. "This was supposed to be a stealth mission, you don't tell the enemy your name on a stealth mission!"

"Well when do you tell them?" The male asked. "I want the whole world to know the name, RAKAN!" He shouted the last word with a musical flair, and Xayah ran a hand over her face.

"You don't tell them ever, Rakan. You're supposed to kill them and move on."

"Ah-ha!" Rakan said in triumph. "You just used my name! Can't use my name in a stealth mission remember? Oh yeah! One point for Rakan!"

"You already said your name." Xayah deadpanned.

"I did?" Rakan asked, a note of confusion crossing his face. "Huh, I would think I would remember doing that." He looked at Caitlyn and shouted to be heard over the wind, although Caitlyn could hear him just fine. "Hey human! You may want to get down! It's dangerous up here!"

"Why do you care what happens to her? She's the enemy remember?"

"Well she seems nice enough."

"She's holding a gun."

"Yeah but most people would have fired by now."

Caitlyn was more confused than frightened at this point. "Are you two lost?" She asked. "Looking for a ride somewhere? You're two of those Vastayans right?"

"Why we're here is none of your concern." Xayah said curtly.

"And don't bother asking me!" Rakan pitched in. "I don't even need a plan!"

"I mean, if you two are just hungry I can let you in. We have food. What do you eat? We have bread."

Xayah's eyes flashed in anger. "Breadcrumbs? What do you think we are, birds?"

"Ah," Caitlyn began, realizing too late the mistake she made. "To be fair-"

"I got this." Rakan said, walking past Xayah to confront Caitlyn. His eyes had the same anger Xayah's had, but he expressed his feelings a different way. "What did you just say 'bout my lady?" He asked as he sauntered over. "Did you seriously just call _my_ lady a bird? An _animal_?"

"No! No!" Caitlyn protested, her hands up in a placating gesture. "I promise it wasn't on purpose! It was an honest mistake!"

"Fool I atta slap the stupid out of you. Just like what I did to that one guy at a bar the other day. It's actually an interesting story." Rakan abruptly dropped to the ground and lay on his back. "It was this one day in the Rishi forest, Xayah was doing something and I was doing something more interesting..."

As Rakan talked on, Caitlyn looked around and noticed that Xayah was nowhere to be found. It only took a moment for her to realize Rakan was serving as a distraction. She had no idea where she went, but she was confident the ninja could take care of her.


	11. Act III: Chapter I

Jhin ran through the moonlit forest with Jinx in tow, too distressed to feel tired. After hearing that Jinx left a couple of her chomper bombs armed, Jhin hoped that for once he didn't shut his door. "What did you say will make them explode?" He asked for the fourth time.

Jinx was running right next to him, somehow as energetic as when they started their journey hours ago, "Well, after I arm them they pretty much explode to getting touched. But here's the best part! Their mouths can chomp on people's ankles when they step on them!" She made her hands into jaws and clamped them together to illustrate. "So that way they can't chase me while I escape!"

"How would they trap anyone?" Jhin asked. "They aren't attached to the ground and they aren't heavy enough to keep people from running with those attached."

"They explode when they touch something remember! So if you run with them on your ankles, kaboom! So they have to stand still to avoid exploding!"

"And how would anybody know to stand still?"

Jinx paused to think a bit. "Oh yeah, explains why people explode a lot when they step on them."

Jhin was close to breaking through the clearing when-KABOOM!

The first explosion rang throughout the forest, and Jhin skidded to a halt as his heart sank. It dropped all the way to the ground as several explosions followed suit. He steeled himself and broke the clearing to see his home still standing and multiple craters dotting the forest ground around the building. The door was open, swinging on its hinges.

"Oh hey!" Jinx said as she caught up to him. "Looks like you left the door open after all! The little guys must have wandered outside where they exploded."

Jhin breathed a sigh of relief. He started for the door and was nearly bowled over as Jinx ran past him. He recovered quickly, and made it to the door as Jinx was winding more of the walking bombs. "What are you doing?" Jhin asked, too tired to be anything more than exasperated.

"Oh, I'm just winding up more chompers so we can try again to blow up your house!?" Jinx said brightly as she finished winding the second one to leave it wandering around the house.

"You do understand that the reason I ran back was to prevent the destruction of my home, correct?" Jhin asked as he began to change into his Khada guise.

"Oh." Jinx smiled sheepishly. "I thought you wanted to get a front row seat to the explosion." She carefully gathered up the two bombs she had winding and trotted outside.

Jhin was still changing when two explosions sounded in quick succession outside. Jinx ran back in with a bit of soot on her otherwise pale face. "Hey Jhin, were you using that bit of forest to the left?"

"Only for camouflage." Jhin said dryly. "Nothing important."

"Well that's a relief, because there kinda isn't a forest to the left."

Jhin numbly walked outside to confirm Jinx's assertions. Sure enough, a vast portion of undergrowth and foliage that used to provide natural camouflage no longer existed. Jhin could look and see the neighboring village through the small tunnel in the brush that must have occurred from Jinx tossing the armed explosives deep into the trees. The village in question was still smoking ruins, so Jhin felt confident he would not be discovered. "We won't be discovered. Thanks to your earlier escapade, there are no more witnesses available in that direction."

"Oh, well then it all works out!" Jinx said as she slipped back into the house.

Jhin let out an exasperated sigh before going in after her. As he finished changing into a more casual outfit, he remarked, "Because my schedule is free tomorrow due to my target's early demise, I am open to do whatever you like tomorrow. What do you have in mind?"

Jinx thought for a minute, then grinned as she replied, "It's a surprise, you'll find out tomorrow. What time is it anyway?" She asked, stretching out on the couch.

Khada pulled out his pocket-watch to check. "It is an hour before midnight, which means I will go to sleep shortly. I trust I am allowed to use my own bed this time?" He asked dryly, leftover irritation from the previous night creeping into his voice.

"Yeah, don't feel like going all the way upstairs." Jinx waved him off from the couch. "You can use it or whatever."

Khada wrinkled his nose as Jinx curled up on his couch, boots still on. "Can you at least take off your boots? That is, was, a lovely sofa."

Jinx either didn't hear or didn't care to answer, and Khada was too tired to argue. Trudging his way upstairs, he opened the door to his room and sighed. The items on his dresser were misplaced, the contents of his drawers were strewn across the floor, and worst of all, his bed wasn't fixed. _I should have known better than to hope Jinx would have left this room orderly._ He thought as he set about to putting everything into order. The thought of sleep was gone at this point, the notion of sleeping in a room like this was anathema.

It took half an hour but Khada managed to restore perfection to his room. With his domain now once again his own, he took another sixteen minutes on a bath in the lake before going to sleep.

 _Jhin was in the theater once again, the lush crimson of the dimmed auditorium a familiar sight by now. He glanced around, slightly surprised Jinx wasn't present. But there was no time to dwell on that now. He reached down and opened the program, and began to read—_

"Wakie Wakie!" Jinx's loud voice rang in his ears. Khada's eyes snapped open to see eyes the color of rose psychosis staring down at him at a distance entirely too close. With a cry of fright he fell out of bed and onto the floor with an audible _thud_.

With a growl Khada got up and glared at Jinx. "What was that?" His voice was dangerously low.

Jinx giggled. "It's morning sleepyhead! It's time for a day of Jinx!"

Khada pulled the watch from his dresser and glared at it. It was exactly thirty seconds after midnight. "You've got to be..." He muttered under his breath. Aloud he said, "You expect to get through a day with fifteen minutes of sleep?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jinx said as she fished through Khada's dresser and tossed him some clothing. "I got a whole hour. What were you doing that whole time?"

"I was restoring order to my room and my body." He replied irritably.

"Well no wonder you barely got any sleep. You could have done that stuff when you woke up."

"And sleep in a sty? I am an artist, a star producer. I will sleep in the appropriate accommodations."

Jinx shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat dude. If you wanna give up sleep to sleep in a nice place that's your thing. But now we're gonna have some fun!"

Khada rolled his eyes and walked back to his bed. "Have fun with that. I am going back to bed." He buried himself under the covers and proceeded to ignore her after that.

It worked for about 3 seconds. He felt Jinx shove him hard. "Ooh no you don't mister! You're not gonna miss any of the fun!"

"You don't need me to have fun Jinx." Khada muttered, his face buried in the pillow. "I want sleep. An artist needs his rest."

"But I want you to come along!" Jinx said as she pushed him more. "We're partners right? Friends? That's what friends do! We blow up stuff together!"

Khada didn't move. "Friends also let their friends sleep."

Jinx pouted. "Please? Get up?"

"No." Khada heard some movement and then silence. He lifted his head from the pillow and was relieved to find Jinx gone. _Finally_. He thought as he started to close his eyes. Then he heard Jinx talking.

"Okay Fishbones, try to only blow up the bed. We need Jhin alive."

Khada sat up sharply to see Jinx leveling her rocket launcher at his bed. "Are you insane?" Khada demanded.

"Yes." Jinx said simply. "And you're getting up. Now."

Khada grumbled as he pulled himself out of bed, the adrenaline rush from nearly dying helped him pull on his clothes and freshen up. "What are we going to do then?" Khada asked as he checked over himself for the final time in the mirror.

Jinx's only response was a smile. "You'll like it."

* * *

Khada soon found himself in one of two amusement parks in Ionia. Courtesy of Piltover's experimental technology, the Sari Amusement Park was home to a Riding Wheel and a Horse-Runaround, among other things. He was still standing under the archway leading inside the park, not taking another step in.

Jinx was already in the park, what she was doing could not be seen but could be deduced from the loud crashes and screams from other people. His hand twitched in irritation, he needed a plan of action. He needed a script. But Jinx was determined to make today a completely unscheduled day, and that was what irked him the most. He needed structure, order. Without a model to paint, a show to perform, what was he?

He ducked as a rocket flew overhead, and crashed into a nearby forest, lighting a forest fire. He decided, that at the very least the color pallet his fellow artist used was interesting. Remembering a task on his secondary agenda that could pass the time, he walked into the park and towards the now abandoned eastern side, as Jinx had not gotten there yet. He moved to one of the benches then sat down, crossing one leg over the other. He pulled out a leather-bound artbook, and a soft pencil, and began to sketch.

The very next day he was to visit Soraka again, and his persona of Khada would never visit without a gift. So he would make one. His pencil glided across the page, creating light feathery lines. Even though nobody was around him, Jhin's acting was impeccable. He was the lovestruck but awkward artist, wanting to share his feelings the only way he knew how. His heart went into every stroke of the pencil, and every rub of the eraser.

A vague outline appeared, then the details began to fill in. Once or twice, an unacceptable mistake caused the entire sheet of paper to be discarded in disgust.

Time no longer meant anything, and when Khada was done, he gazed with wonder at what he had created. A portrait of Soraka, her gentle yet naïve features perfectly captured. Khada felt warm at the thought of giving this to the woman he admired so.

Jhin looked at the picture for what it really was.

A tool.

A prop.

A stage piece for Soraka's final performance. Everything had to be just right. His dream would come to pass, but it was only fair that she witnessed her own imperfect beauty so that she could appreciate his efforts.

He sighed in satisfaction as the put his notebook away, then looked up to see where Jinx had gone.

He was only mildly surprised to see everything around him destroyed beyond recognition. What wasn't ash was spray painted or on fire. _Am I really that inattentive when concentrating?_ Jhin thought.

"What'cha drawing?" Jinx suddenly asked directly behind him.

Jhin jumped ever so slightly, then irritably turned to face Jinx. He found himself less than a breath from her face. "I am creating a prop for my next stage play." He answered.

She tilted her head to sneak a glance at the notebook. "Can I see?"

He obliged her, opening the book and turning to the appropriate page.

"Is that a goat?" Jinx asked, completely confused. "Why are you drawing goat girls?"

"She isn't a goat." Jhin replied. "She is a fallen celestial with the powers of healing. And with this drawing, I will set the stage to make her my most ambitious and beautiful project yet."

Jinx only smiled, then nodded. "Sure thing, if it makes you happy then I support you and stuff." She turned and walked away, and then continued talking in an exaggerated whisper to presumably Fishbones. "Jeesh, and they call me crazy." She punctuated her statement by launching an impromptu rocket at a lump of metal that caught her fancy.

Jhin raised an eyebrow. "Do you not have ammunition?" He asked.

"Do I not have what now?" Jinx asked, her pale face twisted in confusion.

"Ammunition." Jhin repeated. "Do you not have to reload at some point? I would think after firing that weapon as often as you do, which by the way looks like it can only hold one shot at a time, it would be empty. You don't look like you're carrying ammunition either."

Jinx raised an eyebrow then motioned to the belts that wrapped around her. Many of them were bullet magazines.

"Ammunition for your rocket launcher, I mean." Jhin clarified. "I don't see you carrying around spare rockets."

Jinx motioned to different belts. They carried bullet magazines as well, completely identical to the first few she pointed out.

"I think you misunderstand." Jhin said, a little miffed that Jinx wouldn't just tell him how her weapon worked. "For example. Fishbones has fired the one rocket he can hold in his… mouth at a time. What do you do now to fire him again?"

"Oh, you talking about Fishbones?" She pulled out Fishbones and pointed to the mouth, which held a rocket ready to fire. "Oh he's already got his babies to shoot at people. But thanks for asking."

Jhin's eye twitched slightly. _When on Runeterra did she…_ He shook his head and tried to clear it. "Fire the rocket." He said, trying to understand.

Jinx pointed Fishbones straight up and fired. The rocket flew into the air and through a cloud, vanishing from sight. Jhin kept his eye on the now empty Fishbones, but nothing seemed to be happening.

"Why did you want me to fire him?" Jinx asked. "Not like I need a reason to, but you seem to need reasons to do mindless things like fart. Maybe that's why you don't do it." She mused.

"I want to see how Fishbones is reloaded." He answered simply.

"Oh, well we may want to check somewhere else." She said. "Fishbones is going to have baby daddy problems soon if we stay here."

Jhin did not attempt to understand what she said, and instead cast a nervous glance up towards the sky to see if the rocket came back into view. Realizing his error, a half second after he made it, he cursed silently and looked back to a now armed Fishbones. "How…" He began.

Instead of answering Jinx bolted, running with her arms outspread and yelling something about Fishbones not having to deal with child support.

Jhin did not bother looking upwards and ran to catch up with Jinx, right before a massive explosion threw him off his feet and towards the dirt. Jinx jumped into the air before the shockwave hit and rode it a little longer before tumbling into the dirt, laughing hysterically.

"Let's do it again!"


	12. Act III: Chapter II

Caitlyn nearly fell down the ladder as she ran back inside the train. She couldn't afford Rakan keeping her occupied, not without knowing where the other, Xayah, was. Were they assassins sent by the shadowy organization on a mission to make sure that her investigation came to an abrupt and violent end? Or were they enemies of the ninja, completely unrelated to her mission?

Either way, she had to warn them. If Xayah was taking a stealthy approach, then they may not know she was even in the train until it was too late. Part of her thought that they would surely know if somebody was sneaking up on them, but then again, they were only human. And a yordle. They couldn't be vigilant all the time.

Her concerns were unwarranted, as soon as she burst into the ninjas' traincar to warn them, she had to duck as something very fast and very sharp flew in her direction. She popped up and looked behind her to see what looked like a feather shaped dagger, embedded in the wall of the adjacent car.

No further attacks came in her direction, as currently Xayah was being occupied by being attacked by all three ninja at once. She hurriedly checked to make sure her rifle was loaded and started firing.

Caitlyn was a very good shot, but even she couldn't strike a target that moved that fast, and in a confined space where the range of her weapon was nullified, it was almost pointless to fire. But she did anyway, because she didn't want to just sit and hope the ninja could contain her.

Xayah was a violet blur, darting from one side of the room to the other, each dash spawning razor sharp feathers that shredded clothing and drew blood.

Caitlyn was the only one who felt that the feathers were that sharp however, as the ninja dodged every single feather that came close to striking them. Caitlyn however wasn't as agile. After getting a couple of cuts, she was starting to get irritated.

Her rifle was loaded with tranquilizers because she didn't want to kill the creature, but question her. She needed to know if she and Rakan were connected to the Ionian elders, and if so, how much did they know about their secret mission.

Meanwhile she envied the ninja. Akali was a green blur of fury and blades, the closest one to match Xayah's speed, she chased her around the train. She twisted her body in midair, sidestepped, or simply blocked the feathers with her kama. Once she got close enough to cut a feather loose from the cape Xayah wore. But after that the vastaya seemed to redouble her efforts to stay just out of reach.

Kennen was faster than both Akali and Xayah, but clearly the bird woman was used to being outnumbered. Whenever Kennen would come in for an attack from one side, Xayah would maneuver herself between both ninja only to move at the last second. Causing Kennen's reckless attacks to often strike Akali instead.

Akali wasn't the only victim of Kennen's attacks however. Seats were destroyed, cushions were ripped into pieces, and lights shorted out.

Throughout this, Shen seemed to move little. Besides to move his sword an inch or two in any direction to deflect or slice feathers that approached him in half.

After analyzing Xayah's movements, Caitlyn lined up a perfect shot that would be sure to strike her.

Her breathing slowed, her focus became razor sharp. The cuts on her body no longer mattered, she didn't even feel them. Everything blurred save for the nimble vastaya.

Then Shen inadvertently moved in the way. But it was too late, Caitlyn had pulled the trigger.

Fortunately Shen's movement did not stop, and so he passed out of her line of sight just in time to avoid the shot. His movement however caused Xayah to dart in the other direction. Causing Caitlyn to miss completely. She cursed under her breath and looked in the sights once again. But instead of the railcar's magnified she saw Shen.

Despite the mask she could tell he was annoyed. "You almost shot me." The flippin' ninja said calmly.

"It was an accident!" Caitlyn protested.

"Caitlyn, you need to let us know when we're in the path of the shots you intend to fire. We are not a unified combat unit, you cannot expect us to know where and when you will shoot."

His tone was the kind of schoolteacher sternness that Caitlyn hoped she would never hear after getting out of middle school.

"Despite what the stories say about our prowess." He suddenly raised two fingers and caught a feather before it lodged itself in the back of his head, yet didn't stop talking. "We are not infallible or psychic. You cannot expect us to know when attacks are coming from unexpected directions."

Caitlyn just looked at him with disbelief. "How did you-"

"I am a ninja." Shen interrupted, before turning and rejoining the fray.

All of a sudden an orange streak joined the purple one, and Caitlyn immediately knew that Rakan had joined the fray. She started getting worried. _If Xayah can take us on her own,_ She mused, _then both of them together may get the upper hand._ Rakan however didn't seem to be interested in attacking, at least not as much as Xayah. Instead he was more focused on protecting Xayah.

He created barriers, tossed out feathers that were more annoying than dangerous, and seemed to have entirely too much fun with what he was doing. Even over the sounds of combat, Caitlyn could hear Rakan's woops and various vocal sounds he added to all his actions. She guessed the intent was to add a dramatic flair.

However the duo couldn't keep up the fight for long, at this pace Caitlyn was certain they would tire. Apparently, they realized this as well, so they tried a different tactic. Xayah stopped short, and prepped whole handfuls of feathers to launch at her foes. Rakan stopped right in front of her, raising a shield to protect her for the moment she needed to unleash her deadly assault.

The ninja were waiting for this moment. Kennen launched himself at the barrier. Rakan smirked at this seemingly foolhardy action, until Kennen enveloped himself in mystic lightning, almost immediately disintegrating the barrier on contact. Rakan only had time to yelp in surprise as Akali dive tackled him. Shen was immediately on the move, and within two seconds had Xayah in his custody, her arm twisted behind her back to force her into submission.

Caitlyn walked up to Xayah, who she assumed was the one in charge. "Why did you attack us?" She asked. "We bear no will towards the vastaya."

"That's not the point." Xayah growled between clenched teeth. "We know you're harboring mana crystals on this train."

Surprised, Caitlyn stole a glance to Shen. Shen replied coolly, "There is no magic of any sorts on this train. You are mistaken."

"Impossible!" Xayah exclaimed. "My source is never wrong."

"You have a source?" Rakan asked, muffled from beneath Akali.

"Not now Rakan."

"Who is this source?" Caitlyn pressed, "One of the elders?"

"I don't take my intel from humans." Xayah spat.

"But what about that one human you asked for directions?" Rakan piped in again, still muffled. "Or that human in the elder's robe that told you about this train?"

"I said not now Rakan."

"Elder's robe? One of the elders set you up for this?" Caitlyn asked.

"I have nothing to do with Ionia's government." Xayah insisted.

"But what about that one time—" Rakan began.

"Say another word and you're losing that compact mirror." Xayah snapped, interrupting him.

A distressed squeak was the last sound that came from beneath Akali.

"If you want to search the train," Shen said, "then by all means, we have nothing to hide." He let her go with that, letting her massage her injured wrist.

Xayah stared at her captives for a bit longer, then said, "Okay, I'll take you up on that—" She broke off as her arm whipped up towards Caitlyn's face, only to be stopped cold by Shen's grip. "Alright, fine. You're the first humans to not fall for that trick, I'll give you that." She looked down at Akali, who still on Rakan twisting his arm backwards. "You can let him go, we're leaving."

"Without checking the train?" Caitlyn asked, curious.

"Why would I waste my time checking a train you're letting me see, when it's clear that you don't have the items we are looking for." Xayah asked, though her tone made it sound like a statement. "Humans are terrible liars, if you had the mana crystals stashed you would have given it away by now. Come on Rakan." With that she turned and went to the window.

Akali stepped off Rakan, who hopped onto his feet. "Well it's been fun but gotta run." He said as he sauntered towards the window, but not before winking at Akali. "By the way, I don't blame you for wanting to be on me, all the ladies do." Akali's answer was a brandishing of her kama, and Rakan hurried after Xayah.

Caitlyn reached out to stop Rakan, clutching at his golden feathered cape. "Wait! Rakan!"

Rakan turned suddenly to face Caitlyn, jerking his cape out of reach. "Hey hey hey, nobody touches the cape but Xayah."

"About the man who told you about this train, what did he look like?"

"Rakan, don't tell her." Xayah said, already outside the window and holding onto the side of the train.

Rakan shrugged. "You heard the lady."

"But..." Caitlyn racked her brain to come up with a way to get him to talk. "But this man lied to you, made a fool out of you. Don't you want to get back at him?"

Xayah glared at Piltover's Sheriff. "I get even on my own terms."

"But why bother yourself with the details when you can simply have us do it for you?" Akali piped in, understanding Caitlyn's plan. "We are professionals, and you know of the Fist of Shadow's reputation, and of the Kinkou. His actions have thrown Ionia out of balance and he must be stopped."

"You mean what's left of the Kinkuo?" Xayah scoffed. After a second however she relented. "He was wearing a heavy robe, but he wore a metal clasp on his robe that had a very distinct pattern."

"Can you draw it?" Caitlyn asked, getting excited at a breakthrough.

Xayah sighed impatiently but gestured offhandedly at Rakan. "You might as well."

With a flurioush, Rakan summoned a golden feather and started etching a design in the wall, the feather leaving behind a sparkling trail as if it was a pen.

Shen was silent as the design came into view, but Caitlyn couldn't resist a small gasp of discovery and dread.

It was the emblem of Elder Rovar.

He had somehow had found out about their investigation, and Vi was in grave danger.


	13. Act III: Chapter III

The moon hung low over the clouds as Jhin walked towards the town. Mist swirled around him and his confederate as they crossed the threshold. His footsteps clicked on the stone path as he approached. His mask was gone, his hair was brushed and styled backwards. Under his arm he held a painting based on the sketch he made a day earlier. He turned to Jinx and raised a hand to stop her.

She continued walking past him. "This place looks creepy with all the mist." She remarked.

With a sigh he walked to catch up with Jinx and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Wait a moment, I—" He stopped short as Jinx whirled around and planted Zap in his face. He froze, not even breathing.

Jinx's crimson eyes focused a bit, then she put her gun away. "Sorry about that, my shoulder is a no touch zone. Reflexes ya know?"

Jhin stared and took a large step backwards. "I need you to stay here."

"What? Why?" Jinx protested. "There's a creepy village here and you want me to just sit here instead of going inside and ghostbusting?"

"Ghost…" Jhin decided to get to the point. "Look, I need this area to compose my latest masterpiece. Do you recall the amusement park? How you turned it into a work of art? It is my turn now. This is the moment I have dreamed of."

Jinx only stared. "If you think I'm going to sit on a bench and sketch then you've got something else coming, mister!"

Jhin held up a placating hand. "I only need a single set piece for this composition, a healer named Soraka. Once I make her art, you can have the rest of the town to do with as you please."

Jinx pouted and leaned against a tree. "Just hurry up before Fishbones tells me to blow everything sky high."

She then pulled out Fishbones and talked for him. "But Jinx, you're always the one telling me to blow things up. I just want to try new things and to open a 401k."

"Yeah but he doesn't know that. Now shut it." Jinx snapped back. She turned to Jhin and smiled. "Good luck."

Jhin turned and walked into the town, down the quiet streets and towards the home of the healer. As he walked, he took a deep breath. _And now, my performance begins._ He buried his Jhin persona under the optimistic, awkward, and emotional artist that was Khada.

Khada arrived at Soraka's door, and knocked once, even as Jhin lay beneath the surface, going through a mental checklist to make sure everything was perfect.

After a few minutes Soraka opened the door, rubbing her eyes. "Hello?" She murmured through a yawn.

Khada tried to look into her eyes, but their amber brilliance made him look away. But looking away tempted his eyes to gaze at her modest nightgown. His attention suddenly drifted to the painting he had under his arm. White like the robe she wore in his dream, his mental rehearsal. There was no more doubt in his mind. The time to immortalize her was now. "I hope I have not come at a bad time."

Soraka shook her head. "No, you're fine. What's going on Khada?"

Khada cleared his throat nervously. "I want to show you a painting I made, if that's not too much trouble."

"Oh, it's no trouble." Soraka reassured. "You know I admire your art."

Khada took a deep breath and said, "Can I show you on that hill? The moonlight will complement the color choices nicely."

"Sure." She said, a smile brightening her face. "Let me just put my traveling robes on."

"Oh, that's not necessary." Khada insisted. "It will only be five minutes. I would hate to inconvenience you any further than that. I show you my painting and you can go straight back to bed. I promise it won't take long."

"Well…" Soraka looked around. "Nobody's up at this hour, so I suppose I don't have to change. But let's make it quick."

Together they headed for the hill, not at a run but not quite walking. Soraka quickened her pace as she approached the hill. "Careful!" Khada reached out for her to steady her. "It's harder to see rocks on this hill at night. I would know."

"It's alright, I have better night vision." Soraka said over her shoulder. "Come on, just follow me." With that she reached for his outstretched hand, clasping it to pull him along.

Khada's heart skipped a beat at the gentle warmth of her hand against his. At some part of his mind he knew she was only leading him to quicken his pace, but he liked to imagine otherwise.

In no time at all, they reached the top. The moonlight broke through the mists, in silver streams. "Wow." Soraka breathed. "I love this place at night. So serene and beautiful."

"It is a good place to find inspiration for art." Khada agreed. He pulled out the painting and handed it to her upside down, so she had to flip it over to see. "This took me a very long time, but I am pleased with the results."

"Way to build it up." Soraka teased as she flipped it over. She gasped.

Soraka gazed at the lifelike painting of her face in profile. The image was smiling, the gentle smile that showed the deepest compassion and care. Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, a fascinating mix with the color of her robes. The color of her lavender skin was emulated perfectly, and her perfect amber eyes drew attention every time one looked at the piece. She looked closer, and she could see and feel every bit of heart that was poured into every stroke of paint. The beams of moonlight cast a beautiful aura of silver across the image, in an effect that could only be described as breathtaking.

"It's…" Soraka could scarcely breathe. "It's beautiful Khada."

"It's how I see you Soraka." Khada said from behind her. "Every time I would get injured in my quest to paint the perfect piece, it would be worth it because I would get to see your face. When I close my eyes and think of beautiful landscapes to paint, I always picture you in them. I can't deny my feelings anymore Soraka. What I feel for you."

Soraka's heart pounded in her ears as she saw the painting for what it was, a declaration of love. After some thought, she realized that at some level she had looked forwards to his visits. "I… Khada… This is all…" She stammered, trying to make sense of her words and her feelings at the same time.

Khada reached into a nearby bush and pulled out his mask and Whisper. He held it reverently in his hands and turned to face Soraka's back as she tried to talk. "You're a beautiful woman, Soraka. The most beautiful I have seen in a long time." He said, silently checking Whisper's ammunition.

Soraka blushed at the compliment. "T-thank you." She tried in vain to calm the heat that rose to her face.

Khada pulled out most of the bullets and left one inside, the one labeled Spring. He spoke to cover the sound of clicking the pieces back together. "I knew that when the moment I saw you, I had to capture your lovely visage in art. But it's imperfect. Flawed."

"No, no it isn't." Soraka laughed lightly even as her heart pounded faster. "It's one of your best works. I think it's perfect."

Jhin ignored her. "Fear not, my lovely blossom. I have the way to immortalize your beauty forever." He placed the mask over his visage, discarding the persona of Khada completely. "Get on your knees, my star."

"What?" Soraka turned around, utterly confused. "What happened to your—" Her voice caught in her throat. A cold hand of fear grabbed her throat in a vise, forbidding speech. She knew of the serial killer that stood before her from her travels many years ago. She had seen so many wanted posters, had even seen a victim.

"Everything is going according to script." Jhin said matter-of-factly. "Now, get on your knees. Or I will recruit others from your village, and make this a collage of screams."

Tears fell from Soraka's eyes as she dropped helplessly to her knees before him. "No! Don't hurt them, please." She pleaded, her voice hitching.

"Good, good!" Jhin said, elation in his voice. "Your tears, of sorrow and vulnerability! It's perfect!" His one visible eye widened in its madness. "Hold that pose, and I will give you the perfect death you have earned." He raised Whisper to her head.

"What's taking you so long?" Jinx pouted as she walked into view. "I've been standing down there forever." She complained, dragging out the final word.

Soraka's eyes shifted to the newcomer, and Jhin's voice cracked like a whip. "Look at me!" Soraka cowered, her eyes snapped back to his. Jhin sighed. "I don't mean to be harsh, but you were doing so well until you almost ruined the entire thing. I need you to look at me, the audience. It pulls the entire piece together."

"Is that a goat girl?" Jinx asked. "Oh so that's what you were drawing!" She looked at Fishbones. "Told you they were real."

"Not now Jinx." Jhin said, his voice a deathly calm. "I am about to create art."

Jinx shrugged. "Whatever, just hurry it up."

Jhin rolled his eyes, and looked back to Soraka, who by this time had wet streaks that trailed down her cheeks. His eye twitched in annoyance, he had waited too long. He needed the tears to be fresh, just like in his dream. _I will just have to touch up the work afterwards._ He thought as he raised Whisper to Soraka's head, just below her horn.

* * *

Caitlyn looked at the town shrouded by mist and frowned. "I know we're low on supplies, but couldn't we have waited until we reached the next town? This place unsettles me."

Shen looked at her. "Strange, in Ionia mist is seen as beautiful and a sign of life, not something to fear."

"I personally blame Zaun." Caitlyn muttered. "The 'mist' there is actually chemical smog, but the one thing that mist and this mist have in common is that they can hide threats."

Akali walked ahead of them. "The only thing in these mists to fear is us."

"Don't worry." Kennen piped in. "This is a peaceful Ionian village."

"I know Ionian towns are more likely than most other places to be peaceful." Caitlyn said as she stepped over a mushroom. "But I can't just turn off my wariness."

"We never said you should." Shen remarked as they drew close enough to see individual houses. "We are only saying that you should—" He suddenly stopped speaking, and cocked his head as if he heard something.

Kennen stopped as well. "You hear it too?"

Akali was frozen, predatory muscles tensed. It's coming from that hill. Someone is speaking. A young woman.

Caitlyn walked towards the hill, keeping an ear out. Soon a voice was discernable, and a chill crept through her. "It's Jinx." She whispered, quickly loading tranquilizers into her rifle.

"And that other voice." Shen said as he crept closer. "It's Jhin."

They were close enough to break through the mist that clung to the ground, and Caitlyn could see Jinx and Jhin, both standing over… "They have a hostage." Caitlyn whispered fiercely. "I can't shoot fast enough to drop both of them before they kill her."

"That isn't necessary." Shen said stoically, as his hands moved in complex patterns.

Jhin pulled the trigger, and watched as Spring lept through Whisper with an explosive crescendo. It flew towards Soraka's forehead, ready to paint the sweet color of death across her features. Then it stopped short, colliding with a purple energy shield that suddenly materialized and surrounded Soraka.

Neither Soraka nor Jhin breathed. Soraka's eyes opened again, and she looked around, bewildered by what had saved her. Jhin nearly dropped Whisper. He knew who was responsible. And he had an overpowering urge to run.

"Woah." Jinx said, impressed. "Goat girls can make shields! That's another 10 bucks Fishbones! I told you they could do that!"

The shield faded, and in its place stood a ninja, clad in dark violet armor. Eyes burned violet from behind his mask. "Khada Jhin." He said, without emotion. "You and your companion are under arrest."

Jhin could only stare, horrified that his perfect show was falling apart around him.

"A ninja copper?!" Jinx said disbelievingly. "Okay Fishbones, we're even on bets then." She then pulled out Pow-Pow. "Ninja copper, blue copper, they all have one thing in common!"

"Jinx don't!" Jhin exclaimed, realizing her intentions.

"THEY EAT LEAD!" Jinx shouted as Pow-Pow spat bullets towards the ninja.

A glowing sword appeared next to Shen, and a bright violet circle appeared on the ground.

Bullets traveled at several times the speed of sound, but inside Shen's Spirit Refuge, inside the zone where he allowed the spirit world and the real world to blend together, they moved much slower. They moved a little faster than a tossed ball. He swung his blade in every conceivable direction to block, slice, or redirect every bullet that came his way. He made sure none passed him to harm the vastaya behind him.

Jhin watched in mute astonishment as Shen looked like he grew eighteen arms and half as many swords _while_ moving in twice as many directions to stop every bullet that Jinx sprayed him with. "Jinx it's no use! We need to run while he's busy!"

Jinx either didn't hear him or didn't care to listen. She probably couldn't hear him over her hysteric laughter as she emptied Pow-Pow into the really fast ninja.

Soon a loud _click_ sounded from the minigun, and Jinx lifted it to her face irritably. "Great, Pow-Pow's out of teeth." She looked at Jhin. "What was that?"

Jhin turned and flew down the hill, and into the forest. Jinx ran past him, seemingly with little effort. He wanted to ask how she was moving so quickly, but he needed every bit of oxygen to run.

They ducked and weaved through the foliage, and Jhin chanced a look behind to see that Shen was nowhere to be seen. He started to relax, and then a figure clad in green leaped out of the trees to tackle Jinx to the ground with a crash.

He looked back to see Jinx struggling with what looked like a ninja of the Kinkou order, then he ran into a tree. Dazed, he fell onto the ground and looked up shakily at the purple tree. Then he saw the "tree" for what it really was.

"You won't escape this time." Was all Shen said.

Jhin gathered himself from the ground, chuckling. "Well done, Shen. My rival playwright has finally stopped one of my shows while the curtains were up. But you will not stop me ninja, I cannot even stop me. This mask is not just my face, it is also my—"

His monologue, and his vision, were obstructed by a fist flying towards his face. He hit the ground hard, and in a few moments, his mind sinking into the murky depths of unconsciousness.


	14. Act III: Chapter IV

Caitlyn stood outside the prisoners' train car, wishing for what was probably the seventh time that Vi was there with her. She'd feel a lot better. _No use delaying it much longer._ The train rattled beneath her, and she jumped slightly. Cursing her fragile nerves she placed a hand on the door's handle and unlocked it. She tried telling herself that they were safely secured and couldn't escape. _But you know they can. You know at least that Jinx can if given the chance. But those ninja caught them on their own. Surely they could foil escape attempts._

She opened the door into the dark room. Two lightbulbs dangled from the roof, bobbing and shaking with the train. They casted Jinx in an eerie light. Jhin was seated on the ground, his head tilted downwards. He made no motion when Caitlyn approached, but she could see the heavy chains bolting him to the floor.

Jinx was facing her as she approached. However the light cast her face in shadow. The train turned, the momentum shifted the light.

Jinx's face was suddenly shown, a manic grin nearly splitting her face. Violet eyes transfixed on her prey. The shuddering light reflected off the metal cuffs on her wrists and ankles. "Hey! Long time no see!" The maniac giggled. "How has your day been?"

"I'm not in the mood," Caitlyn's voice was tight but professional. "I have some questions for you and your accomplice."

"My wha?"

"She means partner." Jhin's voice floated into the conversation.

"Yes." Caitlyn took a step forward. "I want to know why."

"Well…" Jinx thought for a moment. "Fishbones wanted a baby but I told him I wasn't ready."

Caitlyn's eyes narrowed. "Why did you leave Piltover."

"Oh that." She waved her off and lay on the floor as best she could with her shackles. "I thought you and pink hair wanted me out of your stinkin' city."

"I want you behind bars. Where you can't hurt anybody else."

"You're wasting your time." Akali said behind her.

Caitlyn jumped back with a noise between a scream and a shriek. "Don't do that." She gasped as Jinx giggled incessantly.

Akali ignored her. "Shen had already questioned them both before you got on the train. They won't talk."

"Hey! I can talk." Jinx pouted. "Even Zap can talk. Even if nobody believes me." Her face brightened as she looked at Jhin. "You believe me right?"

"Don't bring me into this." Jhin replied.

"What did he question them on?" Caitlyn asked, ignoring the two criminals. "He doesn't know Jinx like I do. He wouldn't know how to question her."

Akali looked at her intently. "Have you ever gotten Jinx to talk?"

Caitlyn's lips compressed. "Fair enough." She looked at Jinx and Jhin and continued. "How long is the trip back to the capital?"

"A few days." Akali confirmed. "We will be on the most direct route."

"A pity." Jhin whispered. "You'll never get us there in time."

A rush of movement, and Akali was holding a knife to Jhin's throat. "Explain." Her voice was a glacier, as sharp as the kunai she held.

Jhin chuckled. "You have the skills and resolve of a killer." He turned his head and looked her in the eye. "If you were there when Kusho captured me, I have no doubt you would have slit my throat. Saved all of the lives I have claimed since."

Caitlyn armed her rifle with stun pellets. "Make a sudden move and you will wake up six hours later with a killer headache."

Jhin went on as if Caitlyn had never spoken a word. "You have strived your entire life to be a match for your master, training to become a living weapon. But do you know how weapons break?"

A sudden chill swept through Caitlyn's bones as Jhin chuckled darkly. It was such a sinister sound. Full of malice and an intelligence behind it. She regretted the thought as soon as she had it, but she was grateful that Jinx was only crazy.

"Speak another word and watch what happens." Akali hissed.

"But you'll want to hea—" Jhin's speech broke off in a hiss as Akali pressed her kunai to his throat hard enough to draw blood.

"Akali, that's enough." Caitlyn warned. "Shen wants them alive."

"He isn't here to decide that." Akali replied distantly, but she moved the kunai away an inch.

Jhin coughed, a dry rattle that echoed through the car. "You wanted to know who I worked for."

Caitlyn's eyes drifted to Jinx, who was oddly quiet. Jinx's eyes were staring at the empty wall behind her. _She's probably talking to the wall in her mind, the lunatic._ She thought. Something compelled her to turn her head to follow Jinx's gaze however.

In the murky darkness of the car, it was impossible to see the wall. But as the train turned once again, the lights swung. They illuminated the crates stacked against the wall. And the gleaming shadows hidden behind them.

Caitlyn's eyes widened as the realization crashed on her. She pulled her rifle up and fired in a blinding motion as she shouted, "Ambush! Akali behind you!" The shadow of the crate grew and split apart from the box as the pellet hit the wall. It leapt to the darkness above, and Caitlyn saw that the shadows around them were shifting unnaturally.

Akali twisted on her heel and jumped clear as a blade hit the ground where she was standing. She landed catlike and produced several knives of her own. "It was a distraction." She snarled, her expression clearly visible beneath her mask. "This will only take a moment. Make yourself useful and ensure the prisoners aren't freed." Without waiting for a reply she dove into the shadows and disappeared.

Caitlyn stumbled back as she fumbled in her utility belt for some equipment. She tore open a peacemaker cartridge with her teeth and jammed the specialized bullet into her rifle. She lifted the gun and fired at the window of the car. It shattered with an impressively loud crash. _That should alert the others._ She then jumped behind a sturdy bench to protect herself from a stray kunai.

The sounds of battle clanged in the darkness; whenever the light shifted for the briefest of moments Caitlyn could see Akali fight like a mystical creature. Every step was to dodge an attack and every twist of her body was to prepare for an assault of her own. She flowed seamlessly from defense to attack then back to defense as she fought three masses of shadows on her own.

Caitlyn didn't dare fire into the group, to avoid hitting Akali. Instead she stood vanguard over the prisoners.

"This is so cool!" Jinx shouted over the mayhem. "Ninjas are awesome, I wish fishbones were here to see this! That way I can rub it in his smug face! Ninjas are real!"

"The plural of ninja, is ninja." Jhin chimed in.

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Thanks, professor. If I wanted a know-it-all I'd stick to Fishbones, thank you very much."

A gasp in pain sounded in the shrouded melee, then a body rolled into view. The ninja wore black, with a metal faceplate covering his face. Caitlyn moved to cuff the ninja, but she stopped when she saw the gash in the assassin's throat oozing blood.

 _Where are they?_ Caitlyn thought as the fighting continued. _I shot that blasted window at least a few minutes ago, didn't I?_ Truth was she had no idea how long it had been since she signaled the other ninja. A few minutes or a few seconds, time itself was slowed and stretched by her hammering heart.

Another gasp, another body rolled out of the shadows. The third one followed soon after. Caitlyn sighed in relief. "Wow Akali, that was certainly impressive."

No answer.

The light shifted again and revealed Akali struggling futilely to remove a hand from around her neck. The light shifted further, and a figure clad in black and red was barely visible. Caitlyn could only describe the ninja's outfit as a complete upgrade over the previous ones. At a glance she could identify him as male, seemingly far too muscular to be as stealthy as he was. She could not see the face, but she could see the eyes. They glowed like fiery rubies.

When the light swung away from him, the eyes remained visible.

He remained motionless when Shen finally burst through the door. Caitlyn understood his delay now. He looked like they fought through an army.

"Where's Kennen?" Caitlyn asked as she kept an eye on the dark ninja.

"Still fighting up front." Shen said briefly.

"It has been a long time, Shen." The dark ninja said. "You have something that belongs to me."

Shen's expression did not change, but Caitlyn could feel the anger boiling off of him. "You have someone that belongs to my order. Return her, Zed."

Zed tilted his head. "A prisoner's trade would be in order, then." He clenched his fist harder, and Akali's struggles slowed as she started to lose consciousness. Her eyes darted to Shen, then to Caitlyn before they rolled back.

"One person for two prisoners that could slaughter thousands." Shen said quietly, as if in thought.

Caitlyn turned to him, something in her stomach heating up. "Shen, you aren't thinking—"

Shen held up a hand. "Akali is more than willing to lay down her life if needed to complete our mission."

Caitlyn was infuriated. She would never sacrifice her partner, she knew she wouldn't. "You can't just—"

"If you won't return them by your own volition." Zed interrupted. "Then I will kill all of you, then take them by force. I'm doing you a favor, old friend. A chance to run away and live to experience your failure for as long as possible."

"I've beaten you once." Shen drew his sword. "I can do it again. You and what remains of your clan."

Zed shrugged. "If you insist." He extended his left arm as if stretching. "If you are willing to put your clan's life on the line instead of taking my offer." The blades attached to his free arm glinted in the light. A swift motion tore through the walls of the train car and left a gaping window to the plains rushing past.

"I will do what I must." Shen's steely gaze never wavered.

Zed nodded slowly. "Then I will take you up on that offer." He ran the blades through Akali's abdomen. He kept his eyes on Shen as he threw her out of the hole he created.

Shen moved in an instant, surrounding Akali and catching her before they struck the ground.

Caitlyn's heart hammered as she was now alone with the master of shadows.

He turned slowly in her direction, sizing her up. "What you do in the next five seconds will determine whether you live or die."

Her grip tightened on her rifle so hard her knuckles turned white. "Don't come any closer!" She barked, her voice quavering. She began to raise her weapon.

Zed was suddenly right in front of her, and single strike sent her to oblivion.

* * *

The sound of a door creaking jolted Vi awake. She groaned as she sat up, beyond sick of lying in bed for days. But at least the councilman's crony wasn't watching her anymore. She winced as her back flared again.

"I see you're up early." Karma smiled as she walked into the room. "How is your back feeling today?"

"Thanks to you I'm up." Vi muttered. Out loud she said, "My back's better than it was yesterday. "I think I can remove this blasted brace and actually do something."

Karma shook her head. "I'm not that gifted a healer, I'm afraid. What other healers can do in days, it will take me a week at least."

Vi sighed. "Let's just get this over with." She shifted around and showed Karma her back, bandaged with a brace beneath.

Karma sat on the bed next to Vi and prepared her magic. Her hands started to glow, and she placed them on Vi's back. "How has your vacation been going?" Karma asked amiably.

Vi grunted. "I hate it. Cait's out there busting Jinx and her boyfriend and I'm stuck here counting the fibers in the carpet."

Karma feigned surprise. "Wow, you actually answered me this time."

"It was getting irritating getting asked the same question every day." Vi shrugged.

"Well I'm glad we made it past the first question." Karma said cheerily. "Now we get get to the good parts. So, besides being stuck in bed, how have you been enjoying Ionia?"

Karma didn't have to see Vi's face to know she rolled her eyes. "It's fine I guess. Good food more than anything."

"That's nice. When you got off the boat did you see the art museum? We have collections from the finest lands of Ionia."

Vi shook her head. "Haven't had the time."

"I should take you to one." Karma decided. "With me supporting you, we should be able to go and see them no problem."

"Let's do it." She tossed the covers off and winced as she placed her bare feet on the carpet. "Normally I'd rather do anything else but look at art, but it beats sitting here all day." She stretched and remarked, "That healing session really helped, it hardly hurts now."

"That's the spirit." Karma smiled as she stood up. "I'll wait outside for you to get dressed, and then we'll get going."

"This one is called _Journey through a Thousand Dreams._ " Karma motioned towards a painting that Vi was certain was created by a Zaunite gassed on fumes.

"Uh huh. Looks like a journey through a thousand gas trips. Why would the guy paint something so realistic looking only to distort it like that." Vi's gaze began to wander around the museum, that she personally found more interesting than the art. The architecture was sleek green marble, with swirls of white and cream. The windows were stained glass, adorning the windows with famous figures.

"Well, we speculate that the artist just saw the world in a different way. What some of us may find nonsensical, others find art. And we can't take that away from them."

Vi's lip curved downwards. "I've heard that kind of talk before."

"Where?"

"The first time Jinx was arrested." Vi narrowed her eyes. "She was able to get an attorney, and he said those same words. 'Jinx sees the world in a different way. She needs help, not prison.'"

"You don't think she needs help?"

"I'll help her get to prison." Vi said bluntly. "She's done too much to ever be forgiven, or to be given anything less than life in prison."

"If she is as insane as I've been led to believe, then don't you think she should be put in a hospital? Prisons alone are not the answer. We put Jhin in rehabilitation since his capture."

"A lot of good that did him." Vi grunted. "If you ask me, I would have reinstated the death penalty." Her eyes defocused for a moment. "I've lost friends. People like Jinx deserve no mercy."

Karma moved a bit closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Vi. I really am. They were victims. But, Jinx is a victim as well. A poisoned mind creates a victim out of its own—"

Vi slapped her hand away. "Don't you dare tell me to forgive that scrawny little freak." She hissed. "When I can wear my gauntlets again I will find her and splatter her brains." She turned on Karma and stomped away.

Sadness clouded Karma's face. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it.

Vi took a few steps, then turned on a wall, slamming her fist into it. But without her gauntlets she dealt no visible damage. She then continued on her way, towards the museum's exit.


	15. Intermission

**Wow, it's been over a year since I first uploaded this story. It's been crazy, considering it's easily been one of my favorites to work. I know that sounds ironic considering how often I upload, but it's more of an irl time to actually do this stuff.**

 **We're on the final stretch, and I am going to try something different. I will try shorter chapters but uploaded more often. The idea here is that I have time to write small things but not so much time to write larger stuff, and I like to do things in one sitting.**

 **Let's see how this works out. Thank you everyone who has still been waiting patiently for this to update, and hopefully this tactic will help me update more often.**

 **Final thing, since I'm nearing the end of this fic, I'm open to suggestions for other fics to work on. So toss me some suggestions and I'll see if I got good ideas for expanding them into their own fic.**

 **Alright now back to the story.**

Akali's world flared into focus when Zed impaled her. When she was thrown off the train, she saw the grass and rocks spinning towards her at an alarming speed. A dozen lessons from her mother on how to land on her feet flashed through her mind, but her broken body refused to contort itself in the proper configurations. _This is going to hurt._ She thought as she decided to try for a tuck and roll to avoid breaking every bone in her body.

Then her vision became partially obscured, and tinted purple. She felt arms cradled around her and a familiar warmth. She glanced up and saw him. Shen had saved her.

He landed on the ground rather roughly, but on his feet. He slid to a steady but long stop, kicking up a large cloud of dust as he traveled.

Akali couldn't move, but the mask she always wore over her mouth kept her breathing somewhat steadily. With the immediate threat of possibly breaking her neck out of the way, her other injuries bubbled to her awareness. The pain in her stomach became unbearable, and she passed out.

She woke some time later, propped up against a tree. Her pain was now a dull ache, and she looked down at saw bandages wrapped around her chest and stomach. She sighed, thankful to be alive.

"I'm glad you're alright." Shen walked beside her and sat down next to her.

Akali smiled but felt her mask over her face. She reached up and tugged it off. "You bandaged me, but you didn't take off my mask?" She smiled, feeling the cool air against her face.

Shen pulled off his mask in response and grinned sheepishly. "I didn't want to nullify the station of the Fist of Shadow." He grew more somber. "Your mask is as much a part of your role as is your weapons. By removing it during a mission I felt I would dishonor you."

"You decide if something is honorable or not now," She gingerly moved her legs and wiggled her toes inside her boots to confirm she could still walk. "We're all that's left Shen. You, me, and Kennen. We're not much of an order anymore. I think we can ease on some of the more strict codes."

Shen took a bit before responding. "I used a potion from the healer we saved in the other town."

"Soraka?"

He nodded. "How does it feel."

Akali put a hand on her chest. "It feels good, compared to what was before."

"I'm glad."

Akali gave Shen a sidelong glance. "Shen?"

Shen turned and looked at her directly. "Yes?"

Her breathing slowed. "Thank you. For saving my life."

"What?"

"I heard what you was telling Caitlyn. That you were willing to sacrifice me to complete the mission. But when Zed carried through his threat you moved to save me."

"Oh. I was trying to bluff him. I thought it would work." Shen's face was shadowed with guilt. "I can always recapture Jhin and Jinx. I could never replace you. I can't help but feel selfish for my actions."

Akali's heart beat a little faster. She reached out and placed a hand on his. "I know how you are feeling, Shen. For the longest time, I've seen you trying to run the Kinkou order like Kusho did. He was willing to do a lot of things to complete the mission. But when it comes to certain people in your life, you're not willing to sacrifice them."

"I suppose you're right. You and Kennen are very important to me."

A soft breath escaped from between Akali's soft lips. "You're very important to me as well."

Shen's eyes sparkled brighter than the sun. "Akali…"

"Don't speak." Akali whispered. "Just act."

Shen leaned towards her carefully, as if he was afraid to harm her.

Akali moved towards him, closing her eyes and preparing for a gentle pressure on her lips.

She felt Shen's arms around her, as he hugged her tenderly. "You and Kennen are my closest friends. I don't want anything to happen to either of you. In fact, if I was forced to save one of you, I'd die trying to save you both. You're completely equal in my eyes."

Akali's excitement deflated almost instantly. She slumped in his embrace as she muttered, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now let's catch up with the train."

"It should be long gone by now."

"I can sense Kennen's ki, it's more than enough for me to teleport to him. Just hold on tightly."

Akali put her arms around Shen and felt an ethereal buzz traverse her entire body as Shen moved them both through the spirit realm.


	16. Act IV: Return to Base

Caitlyn awoke in a daze. A fuzzy blob stood over her, lightly shoving her awake. "Sherrif! Are you okay?"

Caitlyn's vision sharpened into focus, and then she saw Kennen. "Kennen?"

The yordle ninja was worse for wear. His outfit was torn, and some blood trickled down a cut on his cheek. "My apologies that I didn't help you. I was set upon by a dozen ninja. They left as suddenly as they came. I wasn't able to use my full power in fear of destroying the train."

"The prisoners…" Caitlyn sat up slowly, and looked at the now empty chains laying on the floor. "The head ninja, Zed… he knocked me out me. He must have freed them."

"He knocked you out?" Kennen frowned. "I'm surprised he didn't kill you."

"So am I. But I'm glad he didn't." She grabbed her rifle as she stood up. "Do you know which direction they went? We have to cut them off."

Kennen shook his head. "I ran in here as soon as my attackers fled. You were out for a while. All this time the train has been moving steadily."

"Why didn't you stop the train?"

"Because there was no way we could challenge Zed and his ninja. We are better off regrouping at the capital with what we have learned."

Caitlyn thought for a moment. "Is there anything special about Zed and his group?"

"He and the Cabal were rumored to be linked. The fact that he came to free Jhin, someone that we know works for the Cabal, is solid evidence. The fact that both the Cabal and Zed's Order of Shadow are malevolent forces just means that their goals will align sooner rather than later."

Caitlyn nodded slowly. "I guess we should head to the capital. I need to catch Vi up with our developments at any rate." She pulled out her walkie talkie. "We should be getting close enough to the capital to get a signal. I'll be at the front of the train if you need me."

"We will help." Shen said, just behind her. Akali was in his arms for a moment before he let her down.

Caitlyn whirled around and bit her tongue before a vile oath left it. "How do you keep doing that?!"

"I'm a—"

"Yes, yes, a ninja." Caitlyn interrupted. "What happened to you?" She walked up to Akali and checked the bloody rags that made up her tunic near her stomach. "I saw what Zed did to you, how did you survive?"

"I used the healer's potion." Shen answered.

"My apologies." Akali said. "I knew you wanted to use it to heal your partner's back. If I were conscious at the time I would have stopped him from using it."

"No, that's fine." Caitlyn shook her head to reassure the ninja. "I'm disappointed a little, but Vi was never in danger of dying. You were."

"I am glad you see it that way."

"We should have gotten more than one." Shen added. "But that would have taken time we didn't have."

"I understand." Caitlyn walked past them as she spoke. "I just need to get to the front so I can speed this thing up. We don't know where Jhin and his companions are headed, and we need to regroup as fast as possible."

She closed the door behind her and walked to the window. The train was moving at a good pace, but Caitlyn knew the model and its capabilities. She reached to a level and pulled it, opening the more sensitive controls for the hextech engine itself. She fiddled with the controls, adjusting the output until the train noticeably sped up.

"Can we talk?" Akali asked.

Caitlyn jumped. She held a hand to her heart and muttered, "I swear this trip is going to raise my blood pressure." Out loud she said, "Sure thing, Akali. What's on your mind?"

Akali tugged her mask off and sighed dejectedly. "Have you ever loved someone?"

Caitlyn was surprised. "I wasn't aware you ninja felt… emotions."

A smile flickered across her face. "They tend to get in the way of the mission at hand. But I can't always stop them."

Caitlyn chuckled. "It only comes with being human. But to answer your question, I can't exactly say that I have. Not in the way you're suggesting. I love my parents, but I have been focused on my work for so long, I don't recall ever having romantic feelings for anybody. Why?"

Akali pressed her lips together. "It's Shen."

Caitlyn's face brightened. "That's sweet, I'm happy for you."

"I never told him." She continued.

"Oh."

"And he recently told me that he considered me and Kennen equals in his eyes."

Caitlyn winced. "I'm sorry."

"I should have told him sooner." She admitted. "But I was never one to express my feelings on much. I didn't think he was either. But not that it matters now, he clearly doesn't love me."

"I don't think that's true. Think about it, he basically gave up Jhin and Jinx, two people who we have been chasing for a while, to save your life."

"He would have done the same for Kennen. He told me as much."

She winced again. "It's possible he is bad at describing his feelings too?" She ventured.

"I don't know. But I am not sure I want to try. Perhaps I should just leave things as they are."

Caitlyn put a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "That's one of the worst things you can do. You'll live with regret if you don't take this chance. I may not know too much about confessions, but I can help you as best as I can." She pulled up a chair and offered Akali one. "Come, I'll put on a spot of tea and we can talk."


	17. Act IV: The Plan

**Hey guys, just gonna take the time real quick to shout out the people who took the time to check out my fic, and I appreciate it greatly.**

 **I also want to shout out the people who took the time to leave reviews, Ichorboy, Dillyane, Pridestalker, and Caccus. As we are wrapping up I hope you guys like the finale I have planned, and hopefully this journey of over a year can finally finish.**

 **Now on to the show.**

The bag was whisked off Jinx's head, allowing her to see Zed and Jhin standing before her. She tried moving her arms, but they were tied to her chair. A rag was tied across her mouth, prohibiting speech as well. She struggled for a bit, but nothing gave way. _You better get me out of this Fishbones._ She thought irritably. _I'm the only one who understands you._

"It was unnecessary." Jhin said. "She can be trusted."

"I do not even trust you completely." Zed said testily. "I have not forgotten what you have attempted in the past."

Jhin tilted his head, and Jinx heard a soft chuckle. "I was going to make you art."

Zed whirled on him, his blades inches from his neck. "If the Cabal had not given me what they had in exchange, you would still be on that train. Sliced completely in two."

"Artists fall before their prime more often than you think." Jhin whispered, a touch rasped but never flinching. "But their art is immortal. If your goal is revenge, then perhaps one day you will get it. But it will not reverse what I have created. Besides, you've created quite a bit of art yourself since we last spoke."

"I do not kill for pleasure." Zed turned to Jinx. "I kill to conquer, and to hold." He knelt down and tore the rag from Jinx's mouth.

"Yes!" Jinx suddenly said.

"What? I haven't even started the interrogation."

"I've always wanted a hunky ninja husband!"

Zed was on his feet in an instant. "That was not a proposal. I was only removing your gag, and you will answer my questions."

"Anything for my hunk of a ninja hubby." Jinx ogled Zed's body with an intensity that made some of his acolytes take a step backwards.

Zed's eyes narrowed. "How much has Jhin told you of the Cabal?"

"I'd like a cabal of hours with you." Jinx breathed.

Zed growled and put one of his blades to Jinx's neck. "You will take this seriously, or I will spill your blood across the floor."

"That's hot." A lustful blush came to her pale face, and she continued. "I've always dreamed of being tied to a chair while being told what to do by a muscular guy. And you do it so much better than Fishbones."

Zed shuddered. He took a very long step away and told one of his ninja. "He was telling the truth. She knows nothing."

"Are we to release her?"

Zed shook his head. "Not while she's anywhere in the temple. Dump her outside and we will move on with the Cabal's plan."

"If I can interject." Jhin interrupted. "Jinx has a very special set of skills that can prove useful. She is an artist like me, but where I am surgical, she goes for maximum damage. For this particular assignment she will be invaluable."

Zed looked at Jinx again. "Is this true?"

"Huh?" Jinx blinked, "Oh, my bad. I was staring at your muscles. Did you say something?"

Zed turned back to Jhin; "If you are bringing her on, then I expect double what the Cabal has given me."

Jhin shrugged. "They give me a hefty allowance for art supplies, in this case I think it will pay for itself."

"Then release her and catch her up with the plan. I have other matters to attend to." Zed passed Jhin before vanishing into the shadows.

Jhin sighed and walked up to Jinx. "You really shouldn't fluster him like that. The lad nearly blushed." He knelt and started untying her arms first.

"Not my fault he's so hot." She rubbed her sore wrists. "Also it's his mask, masks are just hot, you know? Never know what's underneath."

"Fascinating." Jhin untied her ankles, marveling at the simplicity of the knots. "I imagine that wasn't your motivation for helping me back in Piltover."

Jinx laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, there are plenty of reasons I find you unattractive."

Jhin rolled his eyes. "That wasn't what I asked, but fine."

"You're scrawny, pale, annoying, crazy," She used her fingers to keep track as she went. "You never listen to other people, you wear a stupid costume, you talk too much, and you take your art too seriously."

Jhin's only visible eye was half lidded in annoyance. "That sounds a lot like a certain blue-haired girl I've been traveling with." He said dryly.

"Yeah, I know."

"And you would use those specific traits to describe me?"

"Pfft, you think I like myself?" Jinx chuckled. "What made you think that?" Her gaze snapped to the far wall so quickly that Jhin jumped. "Where's Fishbones and his crew?"

"In the temple's storeroom." Jhin supplied. "We can retrieve your items as we discuss the plan."

"Another question, where are we?"

"Abandoned water temple. Zed's Order of Shadows is using it as a temporary base ever since they took us here."

"Were we kidnapped? That's been another of my fantasies."

"No…" Jhin said slowly. "The Cabal has connections. They likely hired Zed and his ninja to rescue us from the law enforcement."

"Then why did they put a bag on my head? Felt like a kidnapping. And the rag to knock me out… seemed redundant."

"Zed is concerned about security it seems, despite this temple being in plain view he thinks we are hidden here. In my line of work you know that you are never hidden for long."

Jinx sighed loudly. "Can we just get my stuff? And what's this plan you guys have been blabbing about?"

"The Cabal wishes for a member of the Ionian High Council to be assassinated. She has been a thorn in their side for an unfortunate amount of time."

"Who are we blowing up?"

Jhin reached in his shirt and pulled out a parchment. "Her name is Karma." He handed it to her. "We will strike in a few days."

Jinx took the portrait and looked it over. "Can't they do it themselves?"

"They don't want the murder to be linked to them. And besides, it provides an outlet for my artistic desires." He looked at her, his eye half-crazed. "Wouldn't you want the chance to make your mark, on the largest canvas in Ionia. Where everyone will see it, will know your name."

"Fishbones!" Jinx cried as Jhin pushed open the doors to the storeroom. "I missed you so much!" She bowled Jhin over trying to get to her beloved weapon. "Are you hurt? Can I get you something?"

She puppeted a response from Fishbones. "Wow Jinx, I'm so happy you actually care! After all the times you've been mean to me I thought you actually—"

"Okay now don't get all hungry for attention, nobody like that." Jinx interrupted as she grabbed Pow-Pow. "Hey Pow-Pow, I'm back! How are the kids? Oh right you spit them at people and kill them, how would you know how they're doing?"

"If you're done, we need to get moving. Preparations take time and we need every second we can." Jhin was standing in the doorway, clearly impatient.

"Nah you go on ahead I'll catch up. Besides it's not like I need to know the plan, or remember it even if ya told me. Just tell me what to shoot at on the day, and then we'll get along fine."

Jhin's eye twitched. "After all we've done, you still don't see the value of planning a performance?"

"Nope." Jinx said brightly. "Now leave me alone, I'm trying to find Zap. He's probably off doing something irresponsible." She sniffed and wiped away a spontaneous tear. "I'm so proud."

Jhin turned to leave and felt Whisper beneath his cloak. His dream returned to his mind unbidden, and while he balked at the idea, he couldn't help but wonder if the time to create his largest masterpiece would overlap with the time to create his magnum opus. Art of an artist.


	18. Act IV: Vengeance

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks again for reading and leaving reviews, special thanks to benjiygao99, Dillyane (hey again), and chessru for being the most recent.**

Karma entered the capital building after a few hours had passed. She hadn't pursued Vi right away, allowing Vi time alone to cool off. She pushed the heavy wooden doors aside and winced when she heard a loud creak from one of the hinges. Vi clearly didn't open them gently. A couple of inquiries to the people inside told her that Vi hadn't gone up to her room, but rather to the training room.

She walked tranquilly past the ornate room dividers, she always enjoyed the splendid artwork that decorated them and never missed an opportunity to view them again. Created not by paint or dye, but multiple colors of thread woven together.

Her favorite piece featured the ocean, populated with multiple fishing boats. The piece was brought together by a sunset in the distance setting the scene with contrasting oranges and pinks. As she passed the artistic dividers she began to feel at peace; she knew what she wanted to say to Vi.

She slid open the doors, and saw that the room was nearly empty save for Vi. A sandbag was hung to the ceiling by a thick rope, and the young woman was punching it. To Karma's mild surprise, Vi wasn't thrashing the bag. Her strikes were deliberate, methodical. Her eyes were steely but not heated. Her punches followed a steady rhythm.

Karma walked up to her and bowed slightly. "Have you seen the artwork along the way here?"

Vi grunted an affirmative.

"Vi, I want to talk about what I said earlier."

Vi stopped punching, her fist still on the sand bag. She glanced at Karma, a sidelong glance brimming with irritation. "What about it." Her voice was calm, but there was a clear effort put into keeping it that way.

"I understand that you don't feel the same way about justice that I do. My philosophy when it comes to the mentally ill is—" She broke off when Vi slammed another fist into the bag.

"I don't care what you think is the right thing." Vi whispered, her voice dangerously close to a snarl. "Jinx is the reason several people I knew and cared about are dead. At this point, I have every intention on making sure the death sentence is carried out."

Karma sighed. "You desire vengeance. It is a very natural thing to desire. But you can't—"

"I came here to blow off steam." She interrupted. "Not listen to you prattle on. You can sit up there on your high horse, pretending you'd always make the ethical choice, the 'right' choice. When people you care about get hurt or even die because you did the 'right' thing, then you can stand there and tell me to forgive the murderer."

Karma's eyes fell. "I have lost many friends, years ago."

Vi didn't respond.

"When Noxus attacked my hometown, the elders were confident that our pacifism would spare us from their wrath. But they were wrong. They were killed. I killed their leader."

"So you killed him." Vi noted. "Instead of forgiving him."

"He was not mentally ill in the slightest." She clarified. "He knew what he was doing, so he could be treated as such."

"Is that so? Did you get a confirmation that he wasn't crazy?" Vi's expression had some venom in it. "Or did you just act?"

Karma narrowed her eyes. "I acted because my life and the life of those close were…" She stopped speaking, and her lips tightened when Vi's bitter grin widened.

"I guess you can't look me in the eye and tell me to forgive."

"Well, you know that Jinx isn't completely in control of her own actions. You are not in danger now, so you can make an informed decision."

Vi stepped away from the sandbag and dusted off her hands. "You are hilarious. You're trying to tell me I can't kill a murderer just because they're insane, yet you keep telling yourself that the person you killed was completely fine without proof." She walked up to Karma, a steely glare straight into the other woman's eyes. "Let me ask you something. Do you think every single victim of Jhin's cared about his mental state? Do you think people hurt by Jinx care about her mental state? Do you think the elders in your village cared?" A finger jabbed at Karma's chest, but stopped short of actually touching her. "They don't care either way because they're _dead_. It doesn't matter how they died, and I don't care about the personal problems of the killer. They ended someone else's life, and they will pay for it."

Karma didn't speak for a moment. "You don't think what you're considering can be considered murder?"'

"No." She said flatly as she dragged the sandbag to a corner of the room. "And if it is, I don't care."

"Even if the law is forced to arrest you?"

Vi stopped moving for a moment. "If I did something here, you'd arrest me." She asked, her back turned.

Karma felt her heart sink. "I would. I would not want to, but I would."

Finished, Vi shoved past Karma without another word, towards her room.

Elder Rovar's toady was waiting by the door when Vi got there. She had never learned his name, nor did she really care. "Miss Vi, what a pleasure. Elder Rovar was so worried when you left without warning."

"I don't need a nursemaid." She snapped as she shoved past the scrawny man. When he placed a hand on her arm she gripped it with her other hand, hard enough to make him fall to his knees. "Touch me again and you're going over the railing."

"M-my apologies, but you had sand on your sleeve, and I was brushing it off before you went into your room."

She glanced down and noted that he was right. She let him go and muttered an apology before entering, closing the door in his face.


	19. Act IV: Reunion

The train slowed into the station, the massive behemoth of steel and hextech grinding to a steady halt. On board, Caitlyn was pacing across the floor of the engine. She was impatient to catch Vi up to speed and to regroup. But for the moment, she had to think of their next moves. For all they knew, Jinx and Jhin would go into hiding for weeks, even months. And she was not willing to spend that much time away from her city. Trying to actively search for them could potentially be just as fruitless, considering not even Shen had any idea of what the criminals' next move was. "We're in trouble." She muttered.

"It does seem like we'll never catch them." Shen said coolly. "But they will strike again soon. Jhin may be slow and methodical, but if your descriptions of Jinx are correct, then at the very least she will make a move."

"If nothing else than from sheer boredom." Caitlyn mused. "That may be the case, but Ionia doesn't have the fastest communication network. If she attacked a village we'd never know." She sighed irritably. "We ran into them the first time because you traced Jhin's patterns. He wouldn't follow the same pattern now."

"He would. His plans are like scripts, he rarely alters them. And besides, he likes the challenge." As he spoke the train jerked as it stopped completely.

Caitlyn pursed her lips in thought, then a small smile quirked in triumph. "Alright, where is he headed so we can catch them?"

"If we last saw them in Grove, then the next village on his list would be Sereni. However us taking them on a train ride partially back to the capital could throw a wrench in Jhin's plan. If he finds Sereni too far out of the way and he's unable to reach it on schedule, then he could strike somewhere unexpected."

"So we're back to square one?"

"Not necessarily. He would definitely try to keep to his plans. But the possibility of him breaking from it must always be on our mind. For now, we have to recoup at the capital for now. Yours and Akali's injuries need to be tended to."

"I guess we'll figure this out in the morning." Caitlyn said as she walked out of the train, with the ninja in tow. She looked back as the train was shut down, realizing that transportation of that sort wasn't used often at all in Ionia.

She was greeted at the door by a trio of men. Sporting robes fitting that of council aides that enveloped them but didn't billow outwards like the flashier clothing of the council members themselves. "Greetings, embassy from Piltover. I trust you enjoyed our hot springs." The leader said.

Caitlyn smiled easily. "Yes, it was very relaxing. How are things going with the recapture of Jhin?"

They talked among themselves for a moment. "We have no current idea of his whereabouts. For now, we can only assume he has gone into hiding. Don't trouble yourself, honored guest, Ionia can handle its own troublemakers."

Something about the way the man said 'honored guest' troubled her. "Forgive me, but I don't think you can qualify a serial killer as a 'troublemaker.'"

"A reformed serial killer." He corrected, a little too condescendingly. "He has not committed any crimes since he escaped. If he had we would have known about it."

"Then explain his escape, a reformed man would not break out of prison."

"It is hard to contain a free spirit, no matter its intentions. And it's a rehabilitation clinic."

"Rehabilitation?" She repeated incredulously. "We were told it was a prison."

"Yes, it's a word you would understand more than rehabilitation."

Caitlyn's eyes narrowed. "Enlighten me."

"Many nations would turn their noses at the chance to reform the ill, they would take the easy route and execute them, or lock them up and throw away the key. Ionia believes that anybody can grow, and anybody can change. The mentally ill are as much of a victim as those they hurt."

Caitlyn bit her tongue before she replied. There was a time for ideological debates and it wasn't here. "Can I enter? I'm supposed to meet with Councilor Karma."

"Of course. But I must ask." He leaned past her to take note of the ninja behind her. "Why is the Kinkou with you?"

"Is there a problem?" Caitlyn asked.

"No problem, only curious that you would ally yourself with a dying order." He shrugged. "Ionia is growing, and the Kinkou did nothing but stagnate us, worked to maintain the status quo. So the fates resolved to move Ionia forwards at a pace that cannot be slowed, despite their best efforts. So they fell behind."

Kennen bristled, but a signal from Shen made him hold his tongue.

"So that's what they tell you." Shen remarked. "I can tell you first-hand that 'fates' wasn't why our order nearly died out."

"Fates come in many forms." He replied.

Akali stepped forward, and Shen's hand shot out and gripped her shoulder firmly but not hard. "Don't." He said quietly.

Akali shrugged him off and walked up to the aide. "Would you like to know what fate holds in store for your near future?" Her voice was low and tinged with the threat of violence.

He looked at her with a calmness that infuriated her further. "You would not harm an unarmed man on the floors of the Ionian capital. Otherwise you would prove yourself and your entire order a hypocrite."

Akali's gaze was deadly, but she put away the knife that inexplicably appeared in her hand. She then said, "I need medical attention."

"You would ask aid from someone you threatened the life of?"

Akali smirked bitterly. "If you refuse aid from someone who needs it, then you prove yourself and anybody else that holds your ideals hypocrites."

He smiled back. "A wise answer. Your order may make it into our next age yet."

Caitlyn glanced between the two parties, lost. "I need medical attention as well, I suffered a fainting spell."

The aide turned to her and smiled. "Of course. Come in, all of you." He signaled to the other aides, and they stepped to the side.

As they walked through Caitlyn glanced at Shen and whispered, "What's going on?"

Shen looked at her and waited till they were out of earshot before replying. "The Kinkou Order is on thin ice. Ionia's council is voting on the idea of replacing us with another officially recognized peacekeeping force. Technically we aren't much of a force anymore, but a few of the councilors have delayed the voting allowing us a chance to rebuild. But that's fairly difficult when Zed and his Order of Shadows hounding us at any stretch."

Caitlyn frowned. "You don't think Zed aims to replace you with his own group, do you?"

"It's honestly possible." Shen replied. "Zed's motives are not that far off from ours, but his methods are several degrees more ruthless." He stopped at the staircase and said, "Our paths diverge from here, we need to take Akali to receive more complete medical attention. You can leave and do what you will until the morning, then we will come up with a plan." With that he turned and walked away.

"See you in the morning." Kennen said as he moved to follow.

Akali didn't say a word as she followed them.

Caitlyn walked up the steps and towards Vi's room to check on her. She knocked on the door and waited.

The door opened and Vi was at the door. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Hey. You've back early."

Caitlyn gave her a quick hug and said, "Yeah, the 'spa' was nice but we should get back to investigating."

"Uh huh." She patted Caitlyn on the back. "Ease up, I'm still a little sore."

"Sorry." She backed up and said, "I forgot to ask, how are you feeling?"

"Fine enough, my back's finally usable but I just have to deal with sharp pains every so often if I exert myself."

"So, like before?"

Vi smirked. "Kinda, except the sharp pains are only infrequent when I'm overexerting myself instead of every five minutes. So yeah, like before." She frowned as she looked at her face. "You look a little bruised up."

"Yeah, we…" She looked around as if looking for someone, then leaned in close and murmured, "We found both Jinx and Jhin, we captured them but were attacked by ninja. They escaped." She leaned back and saw Vi's fiery expression.

"I should have been there."

"I was nearly killed, you almost certainly would have been." Caitlyn shook her head.

"You underestimate me a lot."

"You overestimate yourself a lot."

Vi chuckled. "Whatever, I'm going to sleep now. Next time you head out I'm coming. No exceptions."

"I suppose you can come." Caitlyn said hesitantly. "But stay at my point."

Vi rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Have a good night." She tugged the door closed with that.

Caitlyn turned and walked a few doors down to her room, and yawned before changing into a nightgown. She drowsily wrote down a few notes on what to follow up on the next day before slipping into her bed and falling asleep.


End file.
